HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

House of Commons: Pay

David Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many full-time non-manual staff of the House who are not officers of the House receive salaries of  (a) more than £40,000,  (b) £30,000 to £40,000,  (c) £25,000 to £30,000,  (d) £20,000 to £25,000 and  (e) under £20,000 per year.

Nick Harvey: As at 1 April 2007, the number of full-time non-manual staff at the pay levels requested were as follows:
	
		
			  Basic annual rate of pay as at  1 April 2007  Number of full-time non-manual staff 
			 More than £40,000 17 
			 Between £30,000 and £40,000 249 
			 Between £25,000 and £30,000 235 
			 Between £20,000 and £25,000 279 
			 Under £20,000 149 
			 Total 929

TRANSPORT

A21

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding has been allocated for the planning of road improvements along the A21 in the 2007-08 financial year.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency plans to spend approximately £1.6 million during 2007-08 on planning three proposed major road improvements on the A21—Tonbridge bypass to Pembury Dualling, Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst improvements and improvements to the A21 Baldslow junction.

A69: Greenhead

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 28 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1517W, on the A69: Greenhead, whether the A69 Greenhead diversion scheme contract obliged the Northumberland county council engineer to obtain prior approval from officials of her Department before certifying for payment ICE contract clause 60(6) interest.

Tom Harris: The contract did not oblige the engineer to obtain prior approval from the Department for Transport before he made a certificate.

A69: Greenhead

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 28 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1517W, on the A69: Greenhead, whether her Department authorised the Northumberland county council engineer to certify for payment £103,974.92 clause 60(6) interest in connection with the A69 Greenhead diversion scheme.

Tom Harris: There was no legal requirement on the engineer to seek prior approval from the department before he made a certificate. If the engineer had nonetheless done so, the contract would not have obliged him to take any notice of the department's response.

Aviation: Fuels

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will review the findings of the Aviation White Paper on fuel efficiency per seat.

Jim Fitzpatrick: "The Future of Air Transport" White Paper, 2003, referred to the fuel efficiency gains that could be achieved arising from fleet replacement and technology improvements.
	The Department for Transport carbon dioxide forecasts and underlying assumptions are published in "Aviation and Global Warming", 2004. This can be found at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/whitepapers/air/docs/aviationandglobalwarmingreport
	"The Future of Air Transport Progress Report", published in December 2006, committed us to producing revised emissions forecasts in 2007.

Bus Services: Gravesham

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bus journeys were made in Gravesham in each year since 1997; and how many passenger kilometres such journeys represented in each year.

Rosie Winterton: The Department collects statistics on bus passenger patronage through an Annual Survey of Public Service Vehicle operators, complemented by quarterly surveys of the largest operators. The statistics are not collected at a level of detail to provide information for Gravesham.

Departments: Consultants

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Department spent on  (a) management consultants and  (b) other external consultants and advisers in each year since 2000; and which of these consultants undertook work for the Department with a total contractual value in excess of £10 million over this period.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department was formed in May 2002. Details of expenditure by the Department on consultants from 2002-03 to 2006-07 are shown as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2002-03 227.5 
			 2003-04 239.5 
			 2004-05 193.3 
			 2005-06 72.1 
			 2006-07 81.2 
		
	
	Identifying which consultants undertook work for the Department with a total contractual value in excess of £10 million could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

Government Shareholding

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1283-4W, on Government shareholding, what the nature and status is of the special shares held by her Department in  (a) Eurostar (UK) Ltd,  (b) London and Continental Railways Ltd,  (c) Union Railways (North) Ltd and  (d) Inter-Capital and Regional Rail Ltd.

Tom Harris: The Government hold non-balance sheet special shares in all four companies. None of the shareholdings confers voting rights but they do provide Ministers with certain rights sufficient to safeguard the business and ensure continuity of the project.

Great Western Trains: Standards

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will initiate a review of the quality of the service offered by First Great Western.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport monitors punctuality, reliability and service quality of all franchises on a monthly basis.

Motor Vehicles: Accidents

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) deaths there have been and  (b) serious injuries have been sustained in accidents involving a vehicle registered in another EU country in each year since 2000, broken down by country; and in how many cases in each year the European registered vehicle was exceeding the speed limit.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information on the country of registration of vehicles involved in reported personal injury road accidents is not recorded. However since 2005, the Department has collected information on whether vehicles involved in accidents are foreign registered.
	In 2005, there were 59 fatalities and 348 seriously injured casualties resulting from accidents involving foreign registered vehicles. Of these, there were two fatalities and four seriously injured casualties resulted from accidents in which the foreign registered vehicles had 'exceeding the speed limit' as a contributory factor.

Railway Stations: Disabled People

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of accessibility at rail stations in  (a) Leeds and  (b) West Yorkshire; what plans she has to improve accessibility at those stations; and what estimate she has made of the cost of doing so.

Tom Harris: The Department does not hold information on the level of accessibility at stations in Leeds or across West Yorkshire. Station accessibility is assessed by train operating companies and collated by the Association of Train Operating Companies. The information is published at www.nationalrail.co.uk
	To improve access at stations, we have allocated £370 million Access for All funding up to 2015. Stations have been included in the programme based on footfall, weighted against the incidence of disability locally (using information contained in the 2001 census). Huddersfield, Keighley and Shipley have been selected for inclusion in the programme up to 2011. These will be provided with a step—free route into the station and to, and between, each platform. It is too early to give an accurate estimate of the likely cost of these works.
	Other inaccessible stations in Leeds and West Yorkshire will be considered for inclusion in the next tranche of stations to be announced later this year.

Railways: Brighton

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements have been planned for the Brighton to London Victoria train line in 2007-08.

Tom Harris: The then Secretary of State for Transport my right hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire, South (Mr. Douglas Alexander) announced on 4 April 2007, the results of the recent consultation on the implementation of the Brighton Main Line (BML) Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS).The key decision is that, at the busiest times of day, the Gatwick Express will run beyond Gatwick to Brighton, doubling the number of express trains between Brighton and London Victoria in the high peak. This service change will take place in December 2008.

Railways: Safety

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many instances of train surfing were reported in each of the last five years, broken down by railway network.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport police who can be contacted at: British Transport Police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, email: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk

JUSTICE

Armley Prison: Suicide

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many suicides have taken place in HM Prison Armley in each year since 1987.

David Hanson: The information requested is contained in the following table and associated notes.
	
		
			   Number of self-inflicted deaths at HMP Leeds( 1) 
			 1987 2 
			 1988 4 
			 1989 2 
			 1990 1 
			 1991 2 
			 1992 2 
			 1993 2 
			 1994 1 
			 1995 1 
			 1996 1 
			 1997 1 
			 1998 4 
			 1999 5 
			 2000 3 
			 2001 1 
			 2002 4 
			 2003 3 
			 2004 2 
			 2005 2 
			 2006 7 
			 2007 2 
			 (1 )The Prison Service definition of self-inflicted deaths is broader than the legal definition of suicide and includes all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take their own life. This inclusive approach is used in part because inquest verdicts are often not available for some years after a death (some 20 per cent. of these deaths will not receive a suicide or open verdict at inquest). Annual numbers may change slightly from time to time as inquest verdicts and other information become available.

Coroners

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of verdicts returned by coroner's inquests  (a) in England and Wales and  (b) in each coroner's region were (i) death by accident or misadventure, (ii) death from natural causes, (iii) suicide, (iv) open verdicts, (v) death from industrial diseases, (vi) death from dependent abuse of drugs, (vii) death from non-dependent abuse of drugs, (viii) homicide and (ix) all other in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of coroner's inquests  (a) in England and Wales and  (b) in each coroner's region were adjourned and not resumed in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of coroner's inquests  (a) in England and Wales and  (b) in each coroner's region had a verdict returned in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: Due to the comprehensive data, the information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post-mortems

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many post-mortem examinations were carried out  (a) in England and Wales and  (b) in each coroner's region in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The information requested has been placed in the Library of the House, as per the answer I gave the hon. Member on 10 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1462W, on post-mortem examinations.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many assaults on prison officers or other HMP staff there have been in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: Assault information is recorded at establishment level where it should be categorised into one of four categories "Prisoner on Prisoner", "Prisoner on Officer", "Prisoner on Other" and "Other". The recorded incidents of assaults on prison officers are not completely exclusive to officers, establishment recording sometimes includes assaults on other prison staff in this category.
	Information from incidents which have been categorised as "Prisoner on Officer" and "Prisoner on Other" is provided in the following table. This may be over-inclusive and contain some assaults on visitors and official visitors.
	Reliable data for 1997-99 are not centrally available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2000 1,929 
			 2001 2,366 
			 2002 2,538 
			 2003 2,553 
			 2004 2,803 
			 2005 3,176 
			 2006 3,159 
			 2007(1) 1,210 
			 (1) Up to 31 May 2007.  Notes: 1. The numbers of incidents of assaults reported here are derived from the Prison Service Incident Reporting System (IRS). This system processes high volumes of data supplied by prisons and is constantly being updated. The numbers indicated here provide a useful indication of the realistic scale of assaults incidents, many of which are relatively minor. The numbers should not be interpreted as absolute.  2. The increase in reported numbers of assaults reflects, in part, the increase in prison population. 3. There is a slight lag in reporting which means that the provisional number mentioned here will rise a little in the coming months. 4. Numbers need to be interpreted with caution as some assault incidents may involve more than one assaulter or more than one victim, e.g. one or more prisoners and a member of staff. The numbers refer to the number of incidents not the number of prisoners and others involved.

Young Offender Institutions: Crimes of Violence

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many assaults on staff there have been at young offender institutions in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: Information from incidents which have been categorised as 'Prisoner on Officer' and 'Prisoner on Other' is provided in the following table.
	This may be over-inclusive and contain some assaults on visitors and official visitors. The information is restricted to YOI institutions—it does not include assault data from mixed function establishments—and therefore precludes data from establishments also holding older prisoners as well as all female assault incidents.
	Reasonably reliable data for 1997-99 are not centrally available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2000 480 
			 2001 539 
			 2002 555 
			 2003 507 
			 2004 709 
			 2005 801 
			 2006 776 
			 (1)2007 280 
			 (1 )Up to 31 May 2007  Notes: 1. The numbers of assaults reported here are derived from the Prison Service Incident Reporting System (IRS). This system processes high volumes of data supplied by prisons and is constantly being updated. The numbers indicated here provide a useful indication of the realistic scale of assaults incidents, many of which are relatively minor. The numbers should not be interpreted as absolute. 2. The increase in reported numbers of assaults reflects, in part, the increase in prison population. 3. There is a slight lag in reporting which means that the provisional number mentioned here will rise a little in the coming months. 4. Numbers need to be interpreted with caution as some assault incidents may involve more than one assaulter or more than one victim, e.g. one or more prisoners and a member of staff. The numbers refer to the number of incidents not the number of prisoners and others involved.

TREASURY

Regional Budget Allocations

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to create regional budget allocations.

Andy Burnham: In July 2005, the Government published 10-year indicative regional finding allocations for English regions outside London amounting to approximately £4 billion per annum, and covering economic development, transport and housing in July 2005.
	The Government are conducting a Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration, which is exploring options for expanding the scope of regional funding allocations.

NHS

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the NHS hospital building and equipment budget; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: I have regular conversations with ministerial colleagues but, as was convention under previous Governments, I will not disclose the specific details of such discussions. However, I can confirm
	NHS capital expenditure has grown by over 10 per cent. per year in real terms since 1997-98
	We have already replaced almost a third of the acute and general NHS estate since 1997
	By 2010, 111 new major hospital schemes will be open (worth £8.5 billion)

Debt Relief

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made towards meeting the Government's targets on debt relief; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: Treasury shares a PSA target for the 2005-08 period to ensure that 90 per cent. of the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) countries that had reached Decision Point by end 2005 receive irrevocable debt relief by end 2008. Of the 28 countries concerned, 22 have now completed the HIPC process and we expect to meet our PSA target.
	The UK remains committed to the full implementation and financing of the HIPC Initiative to ensure maximum debt relief for the world's poorest countries.

HMRC Office: Central Ayrshire

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effect on the area of the relocation of HM Revenue and Customs office in Central Ayrshire constituency.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs has more office space than it needs and will be reviewing all its accommodation, including that in central Ayrshire, to match it to future business needs and create significant savings. Its review process includes internal and external consultation on all its proposals, and an assessment of the impact of any office closure on local communities as well as on staff and customers. All Enquiry Centres will be kept in their current localities.

Skills Improvement

Don Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the economic impact of expenditure on improving skills in the past three years.

Angela Eagle: The Government have increased investment in real terms in the Further Education sector by 48 per cent. and in Higher Education Institutions by 20 per cent. between 1997 and 2006. This has supported improvements in the UK's skills base at all levels.
	As Lord Leitch set out in his independent report on the UK's long-term skills needs, the increasing skills profile of the UK work force overtime has contributed to economic growth.
	Lord Leitch also concluded that a skilled work force is increasingly critical if the UK is to continue to grow and meet global challenges.

Disposable Household Income

Simon Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the trend in real disposable household incomes over the last 12 months.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lichfield (Michael Fabricant) on the Floor of the House earlier today.

Schools

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the economic impact of expenditure on schools in the last 10 years.

Andy Burnham: Per pupil expenditure in England has risen from under £2,500 in 1997 to £5,550 today. This has supported a sustained increase in attainment—with 350,000 more children achieving five good GCSEs since 1997.
	As Lord Leitch set out in his report on the UK's long-term skills needs, the increasing skills profile of the UK work force over time has contributed to economic growth.
	Lord Leitch also concluded that a skilled work force is increasingly critical if the UK is to continue to grow and meet global challenges.

Public Service Agreements

Graham Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals for a public service agreement on early intervention with parents and children.

Andy Burnham: The performance management framework in the CSR07 period will include a set of cross-cutting public service agreements (PSAs) which will articulate Government's highest-priority outcomes for the spending period. These will sit alongside a set of strategic objectives for each Department. Both sets will be published at the comprehensive spending review.
	The Government are committed to delivering services for families which focus on prevention and early intervention, as set out in the "Every child matters" programme and most recently confirmed in the children and young people's policy review "Aiming high for children: supporting families" (March 2007), published jointly by the Treasury and the then DfES.

Financial Impact Statements

Michael Jack: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce financial impact statements alongside the publication of new taxation proposals.

Angela Eagle: The estimated financial impacts to the Exchequer of any announced tax changes are shown in table B4 of the pre-Budget report or table A1 of the Budget.
	All measures are rigorously assessed and where appropriate we publish Impact Assessments alongside the Finance Bill. Separate financial impact statements are therefore unnecessary. Cabinet Office's launch of the new Impact Assessment process in May demonstrates Government's continued commitment to the transparency of its policy analysis.

Capital Gains Tax

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the rules relating to capital gains tax on second homes.

Jane Kennedy: The Government keep all aspects of the tax system—including the rules relating to capital gains tax and second homes—under review.

Capital Gains Tax

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people paid capital gains tax in each year since 1996-97.

Jane Kennedy: Estimates of the number of payers of capital gains tax in each year from 1996-97 are available in National Statistics table 14.1 on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/capital_gains/menu.htm

Defence Export Services Organisation

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions his Department has had with the Ministry of Defence on the future of the Defence Export Services Organisation.

Andy Burnham: Treasury Ministers and officials discuss a wide range of issues with organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the likely change in the number of people who will claim tax credits as a result of the abolition of the 10 pence starting rate of income tax in the financial year 2008-09; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the likely change in the number of people who will claim tax credits as a result of the abolition of the 10 pence starting rate of income tax in the financial year 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave to the hon. Members for Bournemouth, West (Sir John Butterfill), for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) and for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson) on the Floor of the House earlier today.

Tax Allowances: Transport

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average time taken to process tax rebates on mileage allowances was in each region in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: HM Revenue and Customs does not keep a record of the information requested.

Welfare Tax Credits: Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Northern Ireland were taken to court for recovery of overpayment of tax credits in each of the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Custom's policy is to attempt to make personal contact in all cases before legal proceedings are considered including at least one visit to the last known address of the claimant. HM Revenue and Customs has taken some 1,200 cases to court, as a last resort to secure payment, in Northern Ireland for recovery of tax credit overpayments in year 2006-07. The information requested is not available for earlier years.

Welfare Tax Credits: Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of levels of tax credit customer service in Northern Ireland  (a) before and  (b) after the removal of the Tax Credit Customer Service Unit; and if he will consider re-establishing the unit.

Jane Kennedy: Customer service for tax credits is dealt with by a central team enabling HM Revenue and Customs to treat all customers fairly and consistently. The information requested is not available in the format requested but HMRC conduct a satisfaction survey of its customers who telephone the tax credits helplines. In 2006-07 87 per cent. of respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall service they received from the helpline.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Business Council for Britain

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the estimated cost is of the establishment of the new Business Council for Britain.

Stephen Timms: A firm estimate of the cost of operating the Business Council for Britain will only be possible following further discussion with its Chair and members regarding the Council's working methods. However, Members will not be paid for their work on the Council and costs will be kept to the minimum consistent with the Council's efficient and effective operation. The cost of supporting the Council, including the operation of its secretariat, will be met from within the Department's agreed budget for the new Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Business: Higher Education

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to encourage closer working between business and universities.

Stephen Timms: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) will now lead on encouraging links between business and universities. They will build on the successful links established through the Higher Education Innovation Fund and the Technology Programmes while within the Department of Trade and Industry. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform will liaise closely with DIUS to ensure that business can take full advantage of UK science, research and innovation so that it can compete successfully in the global economy.

Cash Dispensing

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many free-to-use cash machines have been located in the poorest 10 per cent. of wards in the UK.

Kitty Ussher: I have been asked to reply.
	As of December 2006, over 5,700 free ATMs were located in the poorest 10 per cent. of wards in the UK, equivalent to around 17 per cent. of all free ATMs in the UK. On 13 December 2006, the working group on ATMs set up at the instigation of the Treasury found that while most low-income areas are relatively well served by free ATMs, there were a small but significant number of areas without convenient access to free cash withdrawals. The group concluded that around 600 new free ATMs could effectively meet access gaps in these areas.
	As announced by my predecessor on 19 June, excellent progress is being made towards this goal of providing over 600 additional free ATMs in low-income areas across the UK, and 56, or 34 per cent. of the 167 new free ATMs already issuing cash to the public are located in the poorest 10 per cent. of the low-income areas identified by the working group.

Departments: Marketing

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the total cost has been of the change from the Department of Trade and Industry to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, broken down by  (a) relocation expenses,  (b) rebranding expenses on (i) signs, (ii) stationery and (iii) departmental publications and  (c) other expenses.

Gareth Thomas: No relocation expenses have been incurred to date.
	No expenditure has yet been incurred on rebranding of signs and stationery. To date the Department has incurred costs of £2,677 on the production of rebranded departmental publications.
	Costs of £10,564 have been incurred for graphic design services. Costs of £2,500 have been incurred on updating the Department's publications orderline website.

Departments: Marketing

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on what date a new sign for his building was commissioned.

Gareth Thomas: The Department commissioned temporary signage on 27 June 2007.

Overseas Trade: Taiwan

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value of  (a) UK investment in Taiwan and  (b) Taiwan's investment in the UK was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The following table shows data for net foreign international investment positions at the end of each year.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK stock of foreign direct investment in Taiwan  Taiwan stock of foreign direct investment in UK 
			 2001 607 231 
			 2002 747 213 
			 2003 642 126 
			 2004 878 157 
			 2005 890 112 
			  Source:  ONS Foreign Direct Investment Surveys 
		
	
	Corresponding data for portfolio investment and other investment is not available.

Public Participation: ICT

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to enable consultees to respond to consultations electronically.

Gareth Thomas: The Department follows guidance contained in the government-wide Code of Practice on Consultation.
	BERR consultation documents are made accessible electronically by placing them on the department's website in a single place. The department's consultations include an email address to which consultees can respond electronically.
	Some consultations have gone further and introduced innovative ways of enabling responses. A recent example is the current consultation on the future of nuclear power where an interactive website has been set up to allow the submission of consultation responses online.

Regional Development Agencies: Aviation

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many flights to overseas destinations were taken by  (a) employees of,  (b) board members of and  (c) individuals sponsored by the regional development agencies (RDAs) in the last three calendar years, broken down by RDA; and what the total cost was of such flights.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 10 July 2007
	 The information requested is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Trade: European Union

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he plans to take to reduce the UK's trade deficit with the European Union.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 5 July 2007
	The key to the UK's competitiveness is improving our productivity rather than just our trade balance in itself.
	The Government's approach to raising productivity centres on maintaining macro-economic stability so as to provide firms and individuals with the certainty needed to invest in the future, as well as implementing micro-economic reforms to remove barriers that prevent markets from functioning efficiently.
	The Government have identified five drivers of productivity—investment, innovation, skills, enterprise, and competition—and a wide-ranging programme of reforms have been initiated to boost productivity in these areas.
	Similarly, at the EU level, the UK has been driving the productivity agenda—negotiating to remove barriers to trade, which would make it easier for UK businesses to trade across the EU.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Clergy: Sexual Offences

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Police Service of Northern Ireland has received  (a) full details and  (b) summaries of allegations of child sexual abuse by priests from the Roman Catholic Church.

Paul Goggins: I have been advised by the PSNI that they have received information regarding a number of allegations of historic sexual abuse allegedly committed by priests from the Roman Catholic Church.
	This information was handed to PSNI by solicitors acting on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church has co-operated fully with PSNI supplying all relevant information which has been required or requested.
	An investigation file is currently with the Public Prosecution Service for consideration.

Crime Prevention

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are in place to communicate crime prevention advice to the public in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: There is a wide range of measures in place to communicate crime prevention advice, both at regional and local levels. The Community Safety Unit of the Northern Ireland Office provides advice, as well as financial support, and works in partnership with other statutory and voluntary organisations to tackle many crime prevention issues. These include domestic burglary, car crime, hate crime, business crime, crimes against older people, antisocial behaviour, illicit drugs, domestic violence and sexual violence. Advice is provided through a variety of mediums including television and radio campaigns, project staff, leaflets, face to face advice and websites.
	At a local level, Community Safety Partnerships are located in every district council area throughout Northern Ireland. Each partnership has a published action plan which specifies the crime issues to be addressed in that particular area. They offer advice through local road shows, seminars, community newsletters and targeted leaflets.
	PSNI communicates crime prevention advice to the public in many ways. Radio advertisements, posters and billboards are used both by the PSNI and in partnership with the Northern Ireland Office Community Safety Unit. There have also recently been publicity campaigns giving advice on domestic burglary, crimes against older persons and property marking.
	PSNI have also made presentations at public meetings on a variety of topics. For example, in Londonderry during May 2007, a presentation was given to more than 70 business owners on preventing Tiger Kidnaps. Likewise, the PSNI participate in a number of groups such as the National Security Inspectorate, the Tobacco and Alcohol group (to give anti-robbery advice for high value loads), Retailers Against Crime In Northern Ireland (dealing with all aspects of crime against the retail community) and Northern Ireland Bankers Association (cash in transit robberies, kidnap or robbery of bank staff and counterfeit currency).
	PSNI also recently staged a theft from a vehicle, which was filmed for local television news, to highlight ways to secure against the theft of Satellite Navigation Systems.
	In addition, PSNI Crime Prevention Officers frequently attend public events such as the recent Young at Heart exhibition at the Kings Hall (for older persons) and the Seagate Young Innovators exhibition at the Odyssey (for school children). They also hand out advice leaflets (both Home Office and locally produced material) at many public events, from local Farming Shows to the North West 200 motorcycle race event.
	Crime prevention advice is provided to children as part of the Citizenship and Safety Education Programme (CASE) in schools and they can also get advice from the website owned by PSNI Community Safety Branch.
	PSNI Crime Prevention Officers are available to attend homes and businesses on request to give specific advice.
	PSNI Crime Prevention Branch purchases and gives away a variety of security products. In 2007-08 to date this has included 9,000 personal attack alarms for nursing and health care staff and 10,000 Ultra Violet property marking pens as well as various promotional items to guide the public to websites giving advice on various crime issues.
	PSNI also promote the ACPO Secured by Design Scheme, both by involvement with architects, town planners and local council Planning and Building Control Departments and by advertising in trade journals and local magazines.

Departments: Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in his Department have been  (a) disciplined and  (b) dismissed for (i) inappropriate use of the internet while at work and (ii) using work telephones to access premium rate telephone numbers in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: Within the Northern Ireland Office, one member of staff has been disciplined within the last 12 months and one member of staff is currently being served with disciplinary proceedings in relation to inappropriate use of the internet while at work.
	No staff have been dismissed for inappropriate use of the internet while at work within the last 12 months.
	No staff have been disciplined or dismissed for using work telephones to access premium rate numbers in the last 12 months.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 6 June 2007,  Official Report, column 515W, on Departments: official hospitality, from which external customers the sum of £184,000 was recouped in 2006-07; and for what reason the amount recouped increased by £95,000 from the previous year.

Paul Goggins: The previous answer referred to of 6 June 2007,  Official Report, column 515W, inadvertently stated that £184,000 was recouped from external customers. In fact, this money was recouped from both external and internal customers. In 2005-06, £80,000 was recouped from external customers and £9,000 from internal customers. (In 2006-07, £149,000 was recouped from external customers and £35,000 from internal customers).
	In addition to its own use, the NIO permits a wide range of organisations to use the facilities at Hillsborough Castle for a variety of events. These organisations include; other NI Government Departments, the Prison Service, the Police Service, the armed services, and a variety of charitable organisations—all of whom are charged for the services they receive.
	The Department also charges external and internal customers for services they receive at Stormont house.
	The number of events and the cost of putting on those events will determine the amount recouped from customers. These two factors will have contributed to the rise in recoupment between 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	A detailed list of the individual events and their costs could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Drugs: Misuse

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to combat illegal drug use in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Illegal drug use in Northern Ireland is being addressed on a number of fronts. The New Strategic Direction for Alcohol and Drugs (2006-11) provided an overarching strategy. In parallel, PSNI and other law enforcement agencies in Northern Ireland are delivering significant results at an operational level. Last year, in addition to seizing over £22 million of drugs, the number of arrests for drug offences rose by almost 20 per cent. from 1,419 to 1,726.
	Through the Organised Task Force, the PSNI work closely with HMRC and SOCA on an international and national basis to tackle the menace of drugs. In addition, the Assets Recovery Agency have successfully frozen assets believed to have been obtained through profit from drug dealing. Excellent cross border relations exist on this issue with An Garda Siochana.
	Tackling drug misuse continues to be a priority. The Criminal Justice Directorate of the Northern Ireland Office and the NI Prison Service fund a range of statutory and voluntary sector organisations to deliver drug treatment services to offenders.

Police: Crimes Against the Person

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what recent measures have been put in place to protect police officers from assault;
	(2)  how many incidents of assault or abuse of police officers were reported in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; how many such incidents involved the use of knives; and what steps are being taken to reduce such incidents.

Paul Goggins: The safety of police officers is a primary consideration for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
	Measures to protect police officers from assault form part of the ongoing development of equipment and tactics undertaken by the PSN1 in consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office.
	Operational officers receive personal safety training on a regular basis, the content of which reflects their role and this training is reviewed in line with both local and national trends. Recent developments include training in the skills required for single officer patrolling.
	Officer personal safety training includes tactics in the early resolution of conflict through effective verbal communication, the use of unarmed skills, batons, incapacitant spray and handcuffs, all of which assist in improving officer safety when policing violent or potentially violent situations.
	Officers are issued with dual-purpose body armour, commonly referred to as stab vests, and a training package, designed to protect officers from an attacker in possession of an edged weapon, is being delivered to operational officers throughout the PSNI.
	The PSNI have provided the following data relating to the number of such offences where the victim is a member of the Police Service.
	
		
			  Offences against the person where the victim is a member of the Police Service 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Total number of offences 2,210 2,191 2,325 2,699 2,928 
			 Number of offences involving a knife 11 6 11 16 7 
			  Notes: 1. The figures relate to offences where the victim is described as a member of the Police Service; they do not specifically relate to police officers on duty. They include abuse of a verbal nature where this is deemed serious enough to constitute a criminal offence. Obstructing and resisting police offences are excluded from the figures as from 1 April 2003, they are no longer counted within the recorded crime series. 2. Please note that these figures are based on operational police data and as such are provisional and may be subject to revision.

Prisoners: Mentally Ill

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to improve the facilities in prisons for prisoners with mental health problems.

Paul Goggins: The nature of mental disorder experienced by prisoners varies considerably from mild anxiety to severe psychiatric disorders. As in the community, prisoners are encouraged to take as much control as possible over their own care and in the main, prisoners will remain in normal location and be treated and supported by healthcare professionals including psychiatrists and mental health trained nurses. Prisoners who are diagnosed with a severe psychiatric disorder will be transferred to hospital under the provisions of the Mental Health (NI) Order 1986.
	A small number of in-patient places are available within the healthcare unit in Maghaberry Prison for those who require assessment, stabilisation or who are awaiting transfer to hospital. A small residential unit has recently been opened in Maghaberry for prisoners with complex needs, including personality disorders. Furthermore, consideration is being given to the possibility of developing a therapeutic unit for prisoners with addiction problems.
	It is planned that the lead responsibility for the provision of healthcare services to prisoners will transfer to the health service in October 2007. The provision of mental health services has been recognised as a priority issue and if the new arrangements identify the need for improvements to facilities for prisoners with mental health disorders, where possible, steps will be taken to introduce the improvements.

Rape

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what resources his Department has made available for the education of women on how to protect themselves from rape.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office is playing a supporting role in an initiative led by the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety to combat sexual violence. The Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety is leading the prevention and support aspect of the initiative, which involves measures to better enable women to protect themselves from rape.
	In addition PSNI is also committed to adopting a pro-active multi-agency approach to tackling sexual violence, and to making resources available wherever possible. PSNI is currently working in partnership with Women's Aid, Northern Ireland to enhance the education of women in how to protect themselves from sexual assault.
	It has long been recognised that serious sexual offences are often part of domestic violence, either against a current or previous intimate partner. Police officers attend various Women's Aid, Community-based advocacy and outreach services providing practical advice and support to those present regarding personal safety.
	Also, given the number of licensed premises across Northern Ireland, particularly in city centres, and with alcohol misuse contributing at times to incidents of sexual assault, various initiatives such as the 'Get Home Safe' campaign, the issuing of personal alarms in certain areas, and the ongoing advice provided by PSNI Crime Prevention Officers have all contributed to educating women in relation to their personal safety.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Deployment

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the  (a) Armed Forces,  (b) Army,  (c) Royal Navy and  (d) RAF (i) were deployed on operations in 1997 and (ii) are deployed on operations currently.

Des Browne: Comparable figures are not available for 1997.
	The percentage of Personnel deployed on Operations by Service as at 1 May 2007 is in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage deployed 
			   Provisional figures( 1) 
			 Naval Service 4 
			 Army 17 
			 RAF 7 
			 Total 12 
			 (1 )Due to the introduction of a new joint personnel administration system (JPA) Naval Service and RAF trained strength data at 1 May 2007 are provisional and subject to review and Army data for 1 April and 1 May 2007 are not currently available. 
		
	
	Strength figures used in the above calculations are as at 1 May 2007 (Naval Service and RAF) and 1 March 2007 (Army) and comprise Trained UK Regular Forces only.
	Deployment figures are as at 11 May 2007 (Op Banner) and 30 April 2007 (all other Operations) and comprise all UK Service Personnel in theatre (Regulars and Reserves). All deployment figures exclude Special Forces.
	Theatres included comprise of Telic, Herrick, Banner, Oculus, GCT & UN Operations in Cyprus, Nepal, Georgia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sudan and Sierra Leone.

BAE Systems

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what topics were discussed at the meeting between Mike Turner, the Chief Executive of BAE Systems, and Lord Drayson, the Defence Procurement Minister, on 26 June; at what time this meeting  (a) started and  (b) ended; who requested the meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: Lord Drayson chaired a meeting of the National Defence Industries Council on 26 June at which the Chief Executive of BAE Systems was present. The meeting started at 10 am and was concluded at 12 noon. The National Defence Industries Council meets regularly bringing together Ministers, senior officials and representatives from the defence industry. They discuss a range of topics of mutual interest.

Departments: Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of sick leave taken by staff in his Department was stress-related in each of the last three years.

Derek Twigg: The table shows the percentage of sick leave that was stress related taken by staff in his Department for each of the last three years.
	We require our managers to assess the risk of stress, using the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) standards and best practice guidance. To better assess the risks we have recently worked with HSE and our trades' unions to pilot the HSE stress management package in several areas in the Department. Guidance for MOD on using the package will be rolled out during the summer.
	
		
			  P ercentage of worker sickness absence that was stress related for civil servants in the Ministry of Defence calendar years 2004, 2005 and 2006 
			   Percentage 
			 2006(1,3) 19.4 
			 2005(1,3) 18.3 
			 2004(2,3) 17.1 
			 (1) Percentage listed is based on the Cabinet Office definition for sickness absence working days lost. This Cabinet Office definition excludes annual leave allowance and bank holidays, and caps FTE sickness absence days across a year to a maximum of 225 days. Recording of absence data against this revised definition has only been carried out since calendar year 2005. (2) Percentage listed is based on standardisation technique for sickness absence working days lost. This Standardisation technique involved adjusting unreasonably long absence lengths and removing obviously incorrect records. (3) Excludes Ministry of Defence staff in Trading Funds and Royal Fleet Auxiliaries.

Explosions: Compensation

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many awards of compensation were paid for damage to property caused by explosions at Shoeburyness to residents living in  (a) Maldon District,  (b) Chelmsford Borough,  (c) Rochford District,  (d) Colchester Borough,  (e) Tendring District,  (f) Southend on Sea,  (g) Castlepoint District and  (h) Kent in each year since 1995;
	(2)  how many claims for compensation were received for damage to property caused by explosions at Shoeburyness from residents living in  (a) Maldon District,  (b) Chelmsford Borough,  (c) Rochford District,  (d) Colchester Borough,  (e) Tendring District,  (f) Southend on Sea,  (g) Castlepoint District and  (h) Kent in each year since 1995.

Derek Twigg: Records on compensation are routinely destroyed after six years and information is only available from 2001. However, it is known that there have been no payments made since November 2004.
	Available information for the period 2001-04 has to be collated from a number of sources within the Ministry of Defence. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as that information is available and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Exservicemen: Disabled

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel are on the waiting list for a redress of their veterans disability entitlements.

Derek Twigg: Under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme there are two options available for armed forces personnel who are dissatisfied with the decision made on their claim.
	They can ask Service Personnel and Veterans Agency to look at the decision again—this is called reconsideration. As at 30 June 2007 there were 48 cases awaiting completion of which 27 were from serving armed forces personnel.
	They can appeal to the Pensions Appeal Tribunal, which is independent of the MOD. As at 30 June 2007 there were 43 cases awaiting appeal hearings of which 20 were from serving armed forces personnel.

Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the possible obligations the Government have to nuclear test veterans under the EU Directive Euratom 96/29.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 9 July 2007
	 A resolution of the EU Parliament of 10 May 2007 called on member states to apply European Council Directive 96/29/Euratom on safety standards relating to ionising radiation. It is not legally binding, and the clearly stated position of this Government is that Euratom has no application to UK defence activities.
	The UK Government, none the less, recognise their obligations to veterans of the UK nuclear tests. In particular, they have since 1983 commissioned three reports from the independent National Radiological Protection Board on possible adverse health effects of participation in these tests. These found no general effect on participants' expectation of life nor on risk of developing most cancers, though there was a small increase in risk of some leukaemias. The outcome of these studies is reflected in the MOD's handling of claims under the War Pension and Armed Forces Compensation Schemes.

Military Police: Colchester

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the approved complement is of Ministry of Defence police at Colchester Garrison; and what plans he has to change this complement.

Derek Twigg: The approved complement of Ministry of Defence police (MDP) at Colchester Garrison is:
	1 x Inspector
	5 x Sergeants
	16 x Constables
	These figures do not include Criminal Investigation Department Officers who are not part of the MDP complement at Colchester Garrison and not funded by Land Command. They are based in Colchester for administrative convenience and are responsible for investigating crime on defence estates in East Anglia.
	The Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency (MDPGA) has recently conducted a complementing review to validate HQ Land Command proposals to rebalance Ministry of Defence police assets across its defence estate. Once Land Command and the MDPGA have agreed the way ahead the local community, Trade Unions and staff associations will be consulted. Once this process is completed I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Trident

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated ongoing in-service costs are of the Trident replacement over its 30 year life span how much is accounted for by  (a) facilities and revenue costs at Aldermaston,  (b) new missiles required to carry the warheads,  (c) Military Defence Police (MDP) costs for guarding (i) Aldermaston, (ii) Burghfield and (iii) Coulport and  (d) MDP costs for escorting the convoys; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: As paragraph 5-14 of the White Paper: 'The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent' (column 6994) makes clear, in-service costs of the UK's nuclear deterrent, including the costs of the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), will on average be around five to six per cent., of the defence budget once the proposed fleet of replacement SSBNs comes into service. Further information on the costs of replacing the Trident D5 missile and the costs of the AWE are included in paragraphs 5-11 and 5-13 of the White Paper respectively. The future costs of the Ministry of Defence Police for guarding Aldermaston, Burghfield and Coulport and for escorting nuclear convoys, which are included in the in-service cost mentioned above, are expected to be similar to today however, it is too early to provide a precise estimate.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departments: Public Transport

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what incentives he has considered to encourage staff in his Department to use public transport.

Margaret Hodge: The main incentives that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport offers are interest free loans to purchase season tickets for road/rail transport and purchase of bicycles for travel to work.
	Use of public transport is encouraged by Departmental policies, including providing links to major travel and rail operators on our intranet site.

Football Association: World Cup

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what occasions  (a) he or his predecessor,  (b) Ministers in his Department and  (c) representatives of his Department met the Football Association to discuss an English bid for the 2018 World Cup (i) before the feasibility study by the Treasury and his Department into holding the World Cup in England began, (ii) while the study was in progress; and what such meetings have taken place since the study was completed.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Bidding to host a future World Cup is not a decision for Government but for the relevant football authorities. Ministers and representatives of this Department have not met with the Football Association (FA) to discuss an English bid for the 2018 World Cup. However, representatives of HM Treasury, this Department and the FA met on a number of occasions during the feasibility study to consult and discuss emerging issues. Since publication of the report my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Central (Mr. Caborn) in his capacity as the Prime Minister's World Cup ambassador, has met the FA on a number of occasions to discuss circumstances relating to a potential FA bid for the World Cup.

Gambling: Advertising

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what restrictions are to be put in place to prevent advertisements promoting gambling-related activities during children's television viewing hours.

James Purnell: The Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) has published a new code for gambling advertisers which puts in place strict controls to prohibit gambling advertising during or around children's programmes or programmes commissioned for, principally directed at or likely to appeal particularly to audiences below the age of 18. The new rules will be regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and come into effect on 1 September.

National Lottery: Grants

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications the Heritage Lottery Fund has received for projects that are run by  (a) not-for-profit organisations and  (b) all other organisations in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: The number of applications received by the Heritage Lottery Fund that are run by not-for-profit and all other organisations per annum since 1997 are detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Applications received by the Heritage Lottery Fund 
			  Financial year  Not-for-profit( 1)  Other( 2) 
			 1997-98 796 601 
			 1998-99 1,431 739 
			 1999-2000 2,848 327 
			 2000-01 3,351 416 
			 2001-02 2,134 371 
			 2002-03 3,053 428 
			 2003-04 3,251 620 
			 2004-05 4,186 717 
			 2005-06 5,818 594 
			 2006-07 3,333 471 
			 (1 )Not for profit sector, including Churches and voluntary sector (2 )Includes public sector, central and local government

National Lottery: Grants

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many grants have been awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund to projects that are run by  (a) not-for-profit organisations and  (b) all other organisations in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: The number of grants awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund that are run by not-for-profit, and all other organisations per annum since 1997 are detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Projects that have received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund 
			  Financial year  Not-for-profit( 1)  Other( 2) 
			 1997-98 425 384 
			 1998-99 609 365 
			 1999-2000 1,711 208 
			 2000-01 1,894 280 
			 2001-02 1,644 298 
			 2002-03 1,881 365 
			 2003-04 2,257 494 
			 2004-05 3,018 590 
			 2005-06 4,763 510 
			 2006-07 2,359 390 
			 (1 )Not for profit sector, including Churches and voluntary sector (2 )Includes public sector, central and local government.

National Lottery: Grants

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what verification process is used for projects that make applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund to assess the accuracy of  (a) business plans and  (b) budgets before awarding funding to a project; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) assesses business plans against key elements specified in its published guidance. These include relevance of the project to the aims of the applicant organisation, an analysis of the market for the project, financial appraisal, management structure, assessment of risks to the project and systems for monitoring and evaluating the project.
	Project budgets and financial information are assessed by a variety of measures including: the accuracy of cost breakdowns; the identification of eligible costs; calculation and identification of fees, contingencies, inflation and VAT; eligibility and accuracy of identified sunk costs and voluntary contributions; partnership and other funding secured; and the ability of the applicant to meet any funding shortfalls.
	The level of detail required for business plans and budgets in applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund depends on the size of grant applied for.

National Lottery: Grants

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the level of priority that the Heritage Lottery Fund gives to funding of private sector projects.

Margaret Hodge: Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) trustees determine priorities subject to the broad policy directions set by Government. HLF policy is to award grants to private owners where public benefit outweighs private gain.
	The Commons Select Committee in its report 'Protecting and Preserving Our Heritage' supported this approach.

National Lottery: Grants

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria the Heritage Lottery Fund uses to assess the viability of projects that have already received  (a) public funding,  (b) private funding and  (c) Heritage Lottery Fund funding when considering applications for additional funding; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Heritage Lottery Fund assesses requests for additional funding (grant increases) by appraising the additional sum requested against the following criteria:
	evidence that the costs relate to unforeseen and unforeseeable extra works;
	that the costs faced are genuinely outside the grantee's control;
	that the approved purposes of the project remain materially the same;
	that the project still represents value for money; and
	that the additional costs can not be met from other sources.
	This assessment process is applied to all applications.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which providers will deliver support and advice to recently parted parents on making private arrangements for child maintenance; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: It is not yet possible to identify who will provide the information and support service as the commissioning process has not yet started.

Chronically Sick: Employment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to bring forward provisions to strengthen the legal rights of people with  (a) rheumatoid arthritis and  (b) other chronic health conditions in the workplace.

Anne McGuire: We have no plans to extend the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, as we have already fulfilled our commitment to put in place a comprehensive set of enforceable civil rights for disabled people. In particular, we extended and improved the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 from 1 October 2004 to bring all small employers and previously excluded occupations, except service in the armed forces, within the scope of employment provisions of the Act.
	For a disabled person to benefit from the protection provided by the Disability Discrimination Act, they must meet the Act's definition of a disabled person. In general, the Act defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out day-to-day activities. Someone with rheumatoid arthritis or a chronic health condition is protected by the Act if their condition meets this definition.

Incapacity Benefit: Assessments

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of his Department's progress in improving the adequacy of medical reports following recommendations made by the Committee of Public Accounts in its 27th Report of Session 2001-02.

Anne McGuire: Considerable progress has been made since the Public Accounts Committee's report. The current contractor for medical services is ATOS Healthcare, and the contract for the provision of medical services now includes revised targets to help improve the quality of the medical reports as well as speed of response.
	Training for the doctors involved has been improved and quality assurance arrangements have been enhanced. An IT system for the provision of evidence-based reports has been implemented. Sub-standard reports are returned to the contractor for rework. In addition, changes have now been made to legislation to allow for health care professionals, not just doctors, to carry out medical examinations, produce reports and to give advice across the range of disability benefits.

Occupational Pensions

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of public companies with underfunded company pension schemes.

Mike O'Brien: Estimating the number of public companies with underfunded defined benefit company pension schemes is complicated by several factors. Identification of the sponsoring company is not straightforward since many schemes will be directly connected to a subsidiary or holding company. In addition not only are valuations (and therefore deficits) calculated in different ways, they are not calculated frequently. Changes in the economic climate such as those we are seeing at the moment also alter the funding situation of schemes to a large degree.
	In December 2006, the Pensions Regulator and the Pension Protection Fund produced aggregate funding figures based on a group of defined benefit schemes in their joint publication 'The Purple Book'. While these figures do not cover every defined benefit scheme they are representative. This detailed publication can be found in the House of Commons Library and on the Pensions Regulator's website at:
	customersupport@pensionsregular.gov.uk.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average proportion of  (a) expected and  (b) core pension being received is for people who have begun to receive their full-entitled payments under the Financial Assistance Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: As at 6 July 2007, 247 people are receiving annual payments which top up the actual pension paid through an annuity from their pension scheme to at least 80 per cent. of their expected core pension subject to a cap of £12,000 per annum. A further 1,079 people are receiving initial payments at 60 per cent. of their expected core pension, which subject to Royal Assent of the current Pensions Bill will be increased to 80 per cent.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of people eligible for initial payments, and whose pension scheme trustees have applied for initial payments, received such payments in each month since the scheme began operating; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: As at 29 June 2007, the Financial Assistance Scheme Operational Unit (FASOU) has assessed all eligible members for whom the scheme trustees have provided acceptable data and has paid all members who have confirmed their personal details.
	The following table reflects the cumulative number of members in receipt of Initial and Annual Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) payments from December 2005 until June 2007. The FASOU does not hold the requested information regarding the number of members in receipt of an initial payment as a proportion of those eligible for initial payments.
	
		
			   Initial payments  Annual payments  Total payments 
			  2005
			 December 13 0 13 
			 
			  2006
			 January 15 0 15 
			 February 27 0 27 
			 March 32 0 32 
			 April 45 0 45 
			 May 86 0 86 
			 June 149 5 154 
			 July 187 27 214 
			 August 240 66 306 
			 September 318 76 394 
			 October 377 102 479 
			 November 519 118 637 
			 December 594 124 718 
			 
			  2007
			 January 751 136 887 
			 February 823 153 976 
			 March 882 175 1,057 
			 April 937 205 1,142 
			 May 1,014 222 1,236 
			 June 1,073 240 1,313

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people over the age of 65 years have died while their pension scheme has been going through  (a) the qualification process for the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) and  (b) the qualification process to receive initial payments under the FAS; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Financial Assistance Scheme Operational Unit (FASOU) does not hold this information.

Personal Accounts

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what analysis has been undertaken of the impact on future means-tested benefit entitlement for people on low incomes who save through his Department's personal account pension initiative.

Mike O'Brien: The Department for Work and Pensions has undertaken extensive analysis on the impact of the proposed pension reforms on future entitlement to means-tested benefits and the interaction of these benefits with personal accounts. Such analysis has been presented in Projections of Pension Credit Entitlement, Financial Incentives to Save and the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Pensions Bill.
	 Note:
	These publications are available on the DWP website at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/pensionsreform

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children: Day Care

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent estimate is of the number of children in lower-income working families using formal childcare.

Beverley Hughes: The 2004-05 Childcare Survey showed that there were 614,000 children in lower income working families using formal childcare(1).
	By 2008, the Department aims to increase the number of children in lower-income working families using formal childcare by 120,000 children from the 2004-05 baseline. This forms part of the PSA target to
	'Safeguard children and young people, improve their life outcomes and general well-being, and break cycles of deprivation'
	and will contribute to achieving this target by helping to reduce the proportion of children living in households where no one is working.
	The figures showing progress towards this target will be available in September 2007 when the results of the 2007 Childcare Survey will be published.
	(1) Childcare and Early Years Provision: A Study of Parents' Use, Views and Experiences, Research Report 723; DfES. Bryson, C., Kazimirski, A. and Southwood, H. (2006). This report is available at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR723.pdf

Children: Unemployed

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of young children  (a) in each Sure Start Local Programme area and  (b) in England lived in households in which no-one was working in the latest period for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: Research published in June 2007 'Changes in the Characteristics of Sure Start Local Programme Areas between 2000-01 and 2004-05'(1) showed that, over the study period, there was a greater reduction in the SSLP areas compared to England in: (i) the percentage of children under four years living in workless households; (ii) the percentage in households in receipt of Job Seeker's Allowance; (iii) the percentage in households in receipt of income support; and (iv) the overall percentage of working age adults receiving income support.
	The average proportion of children under four living in workless households in SSLP areas dipped just below 40 per cent. in 2004-05, having started out at 45 per cent. in 2000-01. One third were living in a household in receipt of income support in 2004-05, down from 39 per cent. These levels were still higher than the average rates for England as a whole (22 per cent. of children under four living in workless households and 18 per cent. in households receiving income support) but did show significant improvement.
	(1) Changes in the Characteristics of Sure Start Local Programme Areas between 2000-01 and 2004-05, June 2007. NESS Report 21; DfES HMSO Barnes, J (2007)

Financial Services: Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on his Department's plans to improve financial literacy in schools.

Beverley Hughes: It is important that all young people have access to good personal finance education, so that they leave school with the skills and confidence to manage their money well.
	The recent HM Treasury strategy 'Financial Capability: the Government's long-term approach' set out a series of actions to improve financial capability in schools. This includes introducing a new, dedicated programme of study entitled 'Economic Well Being' as part of a revised curriculum for Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education; publishing updated guidance for schools on the teaching of personal finance education; providing more support for teachers, by developing an extension module on financial capability within the PSHE continuous professional development programme; and developing curriculum materials to support the introduction of additional Child Trust Fund payments to seven-year-olds in 2009.
	In addition, from 2010 we are introducing functional mathematics to the maths GCSE, which means that all pupils who achieve a grade C or above will have mastered the basics. We are also making £60 million funding available to secondary schools each year between 2005-06 and 2010-11 to provide a new focus on enterprise activity for pupils at key stage 4. Enterprise education helps young people to be creative and innovative and to take and manage risks with determination and drive, and is closely linked to financial capability in the school curriculum.

Learning and Skills Council

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on the future of the Learning and Skills Council.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	The machinery of government changes announced last week are designed to sharpen the Government's focus on the new and very different challenges that Britain will face in the years ahead. Great strides have been made in all aspects of education and skills over the past few years. But the significant challenges posed by the future demand new approaches.
	To provide strong strategic leadership for the 14-19 phase overall planning responsibilities for that phase will transfer to the Department for Children, Schools and Families as will all funding for 14-19 learners with the exception of that for apprenticeships. Subject to consultation on the details and timing, to ensure there is no disruption to schools, colleges and training providers and the introduction of new diplomas, and the need to pass the necessary legislation, funding for school sixth forms, sixth form colleges and the contribution of FE colleges to the 14-19 phase will transfer from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to local authorities' ring-fenced education budgets.
	To implement these changes for 14-19 policy and funding, we will need new legislation. As noted above, there will be consultation on the details and timing of the changes. In the short term, the LSC therefore remains responsible in law for the allocation of funds to all forms of post-16 education and training outside of higher education. The LSC has demonstrated in recent years a powerful focus on delivery and an excellent record in the management of public funds. In the interests of learners, schools and colleges, continuing that high performance will remain essential as we work through to the new organisational arrangements. The LSC will have a central role to play in managing the transition successfully.
	The new Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) will lead work to deliver the Government's long-term vision to make Britain one of the best places in the world for science, research and innovation. It will also lead work to ensure that the nation has the skilled workforce it needs to compete in the global economy. In relation to post-19 education and training, we will consider, and consult on, the best way of delivering all of those functions and services that are necessary to support the FE sector and to achieve our skills ambitions. That will build on and sustain the progress made with the LSC over recent years in developing a demand-led approach that meets the needs of employers and learners, particularly through the successful Train to Gain programme.
	In taking forward these changes, we will work closely with the LSC and other national partners along with schools, colleges and training providers, to ensure the changes are well managed and sustain institutional autonomy. We will take the opportunity to review how the funding and accountability framework can best support initiative and high performance both at institutional level and across the FE sector as a whole.

Schools: Standards

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools in Bournemouth are under special measures; and how long this has been the case in each instance.

Jim Knight: There is currently one school in the Bournemouth local authority that requires special measures. This is Townsend Primary and Nursery School which has been in this Ofsted category since November 2005.

Students: Loans

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the projected cost of all previous and proposed student loan sales to the public purse over their lifetime with respect to  (a) interest subsidies and  (b) the difference in cost between purchasing the loans by third parties and the face value of the loans.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	We are at the early stages of implementing the Budget announcement to sell income-contingent student loans. Further details will be announced in due course. Meanwhile we are confident that the Government will obtain good value for money, as it is obliged to do by rules of Government accounting.
	In 1998, the Government received £1 billion for the sale of student loans with a face value of £1.02 billion. In 1999, the Government received £1 billion for the sale of student loans with a face value of £1.03 billion. These are figures for the UK as a whole, as loans administration had not then been devolved.
	Over the lifetime of the loans, the total gross payments of interest and other subsidies to the debt owners, in respect of loans made to English and Welsh domiciled students, is estimated at £635 million in 1998/99 net present value (NPV) terms. After deducting the interest subsidy costs, which the Government would still have incurred if the loans had not been sold, the estimated net lifetime costs of the sale for interest and other subsidies are £125 million in 1998/99 NPV terms. This assumes the current relevant Treasury discount rate of 3.5 per cent.
	The discount rate at the time of the sales was 6.0 per cent. Using this rate would have resulted in future cash flows having lesser value, which would have made the sales more attractive to the Government. The estimated total gross payments of interest and other subsidies would have been £545 million, with a net estimated lifetime saving of £130 million. The actual final cost/saving will depend on the performance of the sold loans over their remaining life.
	 Note:
	All figures are quoted in respect of England and Wales unless otherwise stated.

Unemployment: Young People

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) 16,  (b) 17 and  (c) 18-year-olds were not in education employment or training, broken down by (i) parliamentary constituency, (ii) local education authority and (iii) region in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: The Department's estimate of the number and proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) cannot be disaggregated to regional or local authority level. However, we can give an indication of the number of 16, 17 and 18-year-olds NEET from data provided by Connexions services, and this is given in the following table.
	Data provided by Connexions services are used to set and monitor local authority NEET targets. However, it should be noted that figures are calculated on a different basis from that used in the Department's estimates, and therefore do not give the same totals.
	Information cannot be broken down by parliamentary constituency, nor is it available at local authority level and age before 2005.
	
		
			  Number of 16, 17 and 18-year-olds NEET—December 2005 and 2006 
			  As at December each year 
			   Age 16  Age 17  Age 18 
			   2005  2006  2005  2006  2005  2006 
			  South East region 3,720 3,290 6,160 5,440 5,000 5,470 
			 Bracknell Forest 50 30 100 60 80 80 
			 Reading 140 90 210 160 190 130 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 40 30 70 60 70 50 
			 Slough 100 60 140 90 150 90 
			 West Berkshire 70 60 120 90 90 90 
			 Wokingham 50 40 90 50 80 60 
			 Kent 710 640 1,230 1,140 950 1,190 
			 Medway 190 130 350 290 280 240 
			 Buckinghamshire 100 90 210 160 220 190 
			 Milton Keynes 130 100 220 180 200 180 
			 Oxfordshire 200 230 370 330 320 330 
			 Portsmouth 150 90 220 200 160 180 
			 Southampton 190 180 340 250 190 230 
			 Isle of Wight 70 60 90 100 80 110 
			 Hampshire 580 570 810 850 530 800 
			 Surrey 250 250 410 360 340 310 
			 Brighton and Hove 170 150 290 280 290 290 
			 East Sussex 280 250 450 460 440 490 
			 West Sussex 260 240 440 390 370 420 
			
			  London region 3,830 3,250 7,090 6,040 7,180 6,760 
			 Camden 80 80 180 140 190 160 
			 Islington 120 110 250 210 260 210 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 30 40 70 80 90 80 
			 Lambeth 140 100 300 200 350 210 
			 Southwark 120 120 290 250 320 230 
			 Wandsworth 90 80 180 150 180 160 
			 Westminster 110 50 140 100 130 110 
			 Barking and Dagenham 180 160 290 280 250 290 
			 Bexley 150 140 230 180 220 140 
			 City of London — — — — — 10 
			 Greenwich 180 170 350 280 370 360 
			 Hackney 130 120 280 240 330 290 
			 Havering 150 130 270 230 200 200 
			 Lewisham 140 60 260 190 260 230 
			 Newham 210 210 360 360 310 380 
			 Redbridge 130 90 200 180 230 180 
			 Tower Hamlets 150 130 300 280 410 290 
			 Barnet 120 120 210 160 260 230 
			 Enfield 180 140 320 250 320 300 
			 Haringey 140 130 270 230 290 270 
			 Waltham Forest 100 120 230 230 200 170 
			 Bromley 90 100 210 190 190 200 
			 Croyden 210 170 370 310 340 350 
			 Kingston 40 30 70 80 80 70 
			 Merton 60 40 80 80 80 70 
			 Richmond 40 30 50 60 60 50 
			 Sutton 70 70 150 120 150 140 
			 Brent 60 60 140 140 160 230 
			 Ealing 100 100 210 180 200 220 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 130 50 170 120 170 130 
			 Harrow 80 40 140 130 150 170 
			 Hillingdon 180 140 350 220 280 340 
			 Hounslow 110 100 200 210 230 270 
			
			  East of England region 2,980 2,620 5,130 4,620 4,890 4,840 
			 Bedfordshire 210 190 340 310 360 360 
			 Luton 100 100 240 210 260 280 
			 Cambridgeshire 220 200 350 340 370 330 
			 Peterborough 140 110 270 230 260 270 
			 Essex 850 610 1,360 1,120 1,240 1,130 
			 Thurrock 140 90 200 180 180 160 
			 Southend 120 100 230 210 200 220 
			 Hertfordshire 420 360 700 590 620 640 
			 Norfolk 410 470 750 770 710 790 
			 Suffolk 370 370 670 650 690 710 
			
			  South West r egion 2,320 2,270 3,970 3,670 3,640 3,680 
			 Bournemouth 90 110 150 140 110 140 
			 Dorset 170 200 240 290 240 280 
			 Poole 60 90 120 90 100 90 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 280 230 430 400 470 460 
			 Devon 310 300 520 530 440 450 
			 Plymouth 180 140 310 270 300 280 
			 Torbay 60 80 110 130 100 100 
			 Gloucestershire 240 210 460 360 510 380 
			 Somerset 220 180 360 300 290 260 
			 Bath and NE Somerset 70 50 120 100 120 120 
			 Bristol 200 180 450 350 370 410 
			 North Somerset 60 60 100 90 110 100 
			 South Gloucestershire 110 90 180 150 150 140 
			 Swindon 90 140 190 210 130 230 
			 Wiltshire 180 210 250 270 210 240 
			
			  West Midlands region 3,880 3,310 6,520 6,170 6,570 6,390 
			 Birmingham 980 780 1,690 1,460 1,880 1,630 
			 Solihull 200 150 310 260 370 260 
			 Dudley 260 220 340 340 320 270 
			 Sandwell 310 230 400 470 330 440 
			 Walsall 240 190 400 350 320 320 
			 Wolverhampton 210 210 430 380 370 340 
			 Coventry 200 190 390 360 390 380 
			 Warwickshire 250 280 400 440 370 450 
			 Herefordshire 70 70 170 100 140 120 
			 Worcestershire 250 180 430 350 390 340 
			 Shropshire 120 80 190 180 160 170 
			 Telford and Wrekin 120 130 180 200 210 200 
			 Staffordshire 410 390 710 730 770 890 
			 Stoke on Trent 270 230 530 530 550 610 
			
			  East Midlands region 2,380 2,120 4,020 3,490 3,730 3,530 
			 Derby City 190 150 340 310 310 240 
			 Derbyshire 370 330 660 540 620 560 
			 Leicester City 270 260 540 480 440 500 
			 Leicestershire County 300 280 470 390 410 390 
			 Lincolnshire 320 260 510 450 450 460 
			 Rutland — 10 — — — — 
			 Northamptonshire 400 310 660 530 710 550 
			 Nottinghamshire 330 290 480 480 430 460 
			 Nottingham City 190 200 350 340 370 380 
			
			  Yorks and the Humber region 3,760 3,600 6,730 6,280 6,370 6,210 
			 East Riding 100 130 210 250 190 220 
			 Kingston upon Hull 270 240 570 500 620 550 
			 North East Lincolnshire 120 140 260 260 270 220 
			 North Lincolnshire 80 110 200 210 210 240 
			 Barnsley 240 190 410 340 320 370 
			 Doncaster 330 310 500 480 400 370 
			 Rotherham 250 270 400 430 320 420 
			 Sheffield 390 320 680 620 680 680 
			 Bradford 370 380 690 630 740 540 
			 Calderdale 110 120 260 210 270 300 
			 Kirklees 310 290 530 520 580 620 
			 Leeds 570 510 970 880 950 820 
			 Wakefield 350 290 550 520 380 380 
			 City of York 90 100 140 140 130 140 
			 County of North Yorkshire 190 190 360 290 300 320 
			
			  North West region 4,690 4,730 8,460 7,960 8,160 8,480 
			 Cheshire 330 290 470 490 460 430 
			 Warrington 120 90 200 180 190 170 
			 Cumbria 220 200 390 300 470 400 
			 Bolton 270 300 450 440 390 440 
			 Bury 130 140 220 210 200 190 
			 City of Manchester 430 390 760 650 640 700 
			 Oldham 160 170 280 280 260 270 
			 Rochdale 190 160 330 290 280 240 
			 City of Salford 180 180 320 340 210 210 
			 Stockport 140 200 250 280 210 300 
			 Trafford 110 110 190 180 170 180 
			 Tameside 180 170 300 280 230 230 
			 Wigan 280 280 420 440 430 420 
			 Halton 80 110 190 180 220 230 
			 Knowsley 110 130 220 250 320 300 
			 Liverpool 370 370 760 760 880 920 
			 Sefton 170 140 310 300 330 390 
			 St. Helens 160 130 270 250 260 290 
			 Wirral 180 240 460 420 470 530 
			 Greater Merseyside 1,080 1,130 2,200 2,150 2,470 2,660 
			 Blackburn-Darwen 110 130 260 210 260 250 
			 Blackpool 130 140 280 230 210 250 
			 Lancashire County 660 630 1,200 1,050 1,100 1,150 
			
			  North East region 2,190 1,960 4,140 3,710 4,350 4,570 
			 County Durham 440 410 780 740 880 900 
			 Northumberland 180 170 360 360 400 440 
			 Darlington 80 60 160 130 130 120 
			 Stockton on Tees 160 110 270 220 280 270 
			 Middlesbrough 170 140 350 290 360 450 
			 Hartlepool 80 70 130 160 160 200 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 110 130 230 200 250 280 
			 Sunderland 290 250 510 490 570 580 
			 Gateshead 160 140 320 260 330 350 
			 Newcastle 250 250 470 410 430 460 
			 North Tyneside 160 140 290 250 260 300 
			 South Tyneside 120 100 260 200 320 240 
			  Source: CCIS

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Degrees

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what additional student numbers were awarded for  (a) foundation degrees and  (b) honours degrees in each of the last five years, broken down by educational institution.

Bill Rammell: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

Degrees: Gender

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the non-completion rates were for  (a) female full-time students studying for first degrees,  (b) female part-time students and  (c) male full-time students studying for first degrees, broken down by qualification on entry in the last period for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: Projected non-completion rates are released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) each year within the Performance Indicators in Higher Education publication. The latest available non-completion projections are shown in table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Proportion of UK-domiciled entrants to full-time first degree courses in UK higher education institutions (HEIs) who are projected to neither obtain an award nor transfer to another institution 
			  Academic year  Percentage 
			 1999/2000 15.9 
			 2000/01 15.0 
			 2001/02 14.1 
			 2002/03 14.4 
			 2003/04 14.9 
			 Source: 'Performance Indicators in Higher Education', published by HESA 
		
	
	The 2004-05 figure will be released by HESA on 19th July 2007. These non-completion rates are not available broken down by gender or entry qualification. Drop-out is more likely to occur during the first year of higher education. The performance indicators also include non-continuation rates, which show the proportion of entrants who are not detected in higher education after their first year. The latest available non-continuation rates are shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 2: Proportion of UK-domiciled young entrants to full-time first degree courses at UK HEIs not continuing in higher education after their first year 
			  Academic year  Percentage 
			 1999/2000 7.8 
			 2000/01 7.1 
			 2001/02 7.3 
			 2002/03 7.8 
			 2003/04 7.7 
			  Source: 'Performance Indicators in Higher Education', published by HESA 
		
	
	The 2004-05 figure will be released by HESA on 19 July 2007. The 2002-03 and 2003-04 non-continuation rates are available broken down by entry qualification, as shown in table 3.
	
		
			  Table 3: Percentage of UK-domiciled young entrants to full-time first degrees in UK HEIs in 2002-03 and 2003-04 not continuing in higher education after their first year 
			  Entry qualification Categories  Tariff points  Entrants 2002-03  Entrants 2003-04 
			 A-levels or Highers: Unknown 11.3 12.6 
			  Up to 200 11.7 11.9 
			  201 to 290 7.9 8.1 
			  291 to 380 4.9 5.3 
			  Above 380 2.6 2.8 
			 
			 Other qualifications — 11.4 11.6 
			 
			 All qualifications — 7.8 7.7 
			  Source:  Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) 
		
	
	The 2003-04 non-continuation rate is available broken down by gender, as shown in table 4.
	
		
			  Table 4: Percentage of UK-domiciled young entrants to full-time first degrees in UK HEIs in 2003-04 not continuing in higher education after their first year 
			   Rate  Benchmark 
			 Female 6.7 7.3 
			 Male 8.8 8.1 
			 Total 7.7 — 
			  Source: Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) 
		
	
	Comparable projected non-completion rates and non-continuation rates after first year are not calculated for part time students.

Degrees: Social Structure

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what percentage of people aged  (a) 18,  (b) 19,  (c) 20,  (d) 21 to 24,  (e) 25 to 30 and  (f) over 30-years-old from each socio-economic group were in higher education in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: The Full-time Young Participation by Socio-Economic Class (FYPSEC) measure shows the proportion of English-domiciled people aged 18-20 from the top three and bottom four socio-economic classes who have participated for the first time in full-time higher education at UK Higher Education Institutions and English Further Education Colleges. A student's socio-economic class is based on his/her higher-earning parent's occupation. The latest available figures are shown in the table:
	
		
			  FYPSEC: 2002/03 to 2005/06 
			   2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06 
			 NS-SEC 1-3 44.6 41.5 41.5 43.3 
			 NS-SEC 4-7 17.6 17.9 17.7 19.9 
		
	
	It should be noted that a significant proportion of students are from unknown socio-economic backgrounds. The FYPSEC measure uses postcode as a proxy for those with unknown socio-economic class in order to make an informed estimate of their social background. The figures quoted above therefore reflect information collected by UCAS through the application process and an estimate, based on postcode, for those where the information is not provided at application. Further information on the measure is available in the following research report:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR806.pdf
	Figures are not available for earlier years than 2002/03 because the National Statistics socio-economic classification was introduced in 2001, and was not obtained for higher education students until 2002/03.
	Figures are not available for people over the age of 20 because the coverage of the socio-economic class data for older people is relatively low. Figures are not available for part-time students because they do not apply through UCAS and as such their socio-economic class is not recorded during their application process.

Departmental Responsibilities

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his Department's responsibilities are for technology.

Ian Pearson: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) now leads on technological innovation, including sponsorship of the Technology Strategy Board and investment in research, science, innovation and skills. The Department works closely with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to ensure that business can take full advantage of technological developments to enable it to compete successfully in the global economy.

Departments: Committees

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will list the European Community committees and working groups for which his Department will be responsible.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) will have responsibility for the work of three formal Council working groups: Education Committee (jointly with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)), the Research and Atomic Questions working group and the ad hoc European Institute of Technology working group. In addition to formal Council working groups, there are also a number of advisory committees, which provide advice to the European Commission on policy matters and aid the Commission in the implementation of Community legislation. A list of the key committees for which DIUS has responsibility is attached at Annexe A.
	 A nnexe A :
	Key European Community committees, for which DIUS is responsible:
	Advisory Committee on Vocational Training;
	Committee of the integrated action programme in the field of lifelong learning (jointly with DCSF);
	Youth in Action Committee (jointly with DCSF);
	TEMPUS Committee;
	Programme for the enhancement of quality in higher education and the promotion of intercultural understanding through co-operation with third countries (Erasmus Mundus);
	European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) Governing Board;
	European Training Foundation (ETF) Governing Board;
	Innovation Policy Advisory Board;
	Enterprise and Innovation Programme Management Committee for the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (jointly with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR));
	Horizontal Programme Committee for implementing the 7(th) Framework Programme (2007-13) of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities;
	Programme Committee for the execution of the specific programme 'Co-operation', implementing the 7(th) Framework Programme (2007-13) of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (jointly with BERR, the Department for Health, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Transport, and the Home Office);
	Programme Committee for the execution of the specific programme 'Capacities', implementing the 7(th) Framework Programme (2007-13) of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities;
	Programme Committee for the execution of the specific programme 'People', implementing the 7(th) Framework Programme (2007-13) of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities;
	Programme Committee for the execution of the specific programme 'Ideas', implementing the 7(th) Framework Programme (2007-13) of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities;
	Consultative Committee for the execution of the specific programme implementing the 7(th) Framework Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for nuclear research and training activities (2007-11);
	Board of Governors of the Joint Research Centre;
	European Scientific and Technical Research Committee (CREST).

Departments: Council of Ministers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will make a statement on the agenda of the next Council of Ministers which he will be attending.

Bill Rammell: The next EU Council of Ministers for which the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills will have some responsibility will be Competitiveness Council on 27-28 September. Ministers will discuss the following items:
	Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Institute of Technology;
	Proposal for Council Decision on Joint Technology Initiative: Innovative Medicines (IMI);
	Proposal for Council Decision on Joint Technology Initiative: Embedded Computing Systems (ARTEMIS);
	Proposal for Council Decision on Joint Technology Initiative: Aeronautics and Air Transport (Clean Sky);
	Proposal for Council Decision on Joint Technology Initiative: Nanoelectronics (ENIAC);
	Proposals for European Parliament and Council Decisions for initiatives according to Art. 169 of the Treaty (Ambient Assisted Living);
	Proposals for European Parliament and Council Decisions for initiatives according to Art. 169 of the Treaty (EuroSTARS);
	Commission Communication on the Mid-Term Review of the Industrial Policy;
	Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 94/47/EC on the protection of purchasers in respect of certain aspects of contracts relating to the purchase of the right to use immovable properties on a timeshare basis.
	Responsibility for these items will be shared between the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. No decision has yet been made on ministerial attendance.

Departments: EU Law

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will list the draft legislation under discussion at EU level pertaining to his Department; and what the current status is of each item.

Bill Rammell: The following items of draft legislation pertaining to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills are currently being discussed at EU level:
	Proposal for a Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning. A General Approach was agreed by Education Council on 15 November 2006; political agreement with European Parliament is expected at Education Council on 15-16 November 2007.
	Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an action programme for the enhancement of quality in higher education and the promotion of intercultural understanding through cooperation with third countries (Erasmus Mundus) (2009-14). A General Approach is expected to be agreed at Education Council on 15-16 November 2007.
	Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and Council establishing the European Institute of Technology. A General Approach was agreed by Competitiveness Council on 25 June 2007.
	Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Agreement on scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and the Arab Republic of Egypt.
	Proposal for a Council Regulation setting up the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking. An exchange of views is expected at the September Competitiveness Council.
	Proposal for a Council Regulation setting up the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking. An exchange of views is expected at the September Competitiveness Council.
	Proposal for a Council Regulation on the establishment of the "ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking" to implement a Joint Technology Initiative in Embedded Computing Systems. An exchange of views is expected at the September Competitiveness Council.
	Proposal for a Council Regulation setting up the "ENIAC Joint Undertaking". An exchange of views is expected at the September Competitiveness Council.
	Proposal (on the basis of Article 169 of the EC Treaty) for a decision of the European Parliament and Council on the participation by the Community in a research and development programme aimed at enhancing the quality of life of older people through the use of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), undertaken by several member states (Ambient Assisted Living). An exchange of views is expected at the September Competitiveness Council.

Education: Prisoners

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will assess the merits of giving prisoners access to virtual classroom technology; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: "Reducing Re-offending Through Skills and Employment: Next Steps", published jointly by the former Department for Education and Skills, the Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions in December 2006 gave a clear commitment to improve the use of technology in delivering teaching and learning to offenders in custody, as well as offering more widespread access to ICT qualifications.
	Two test bed regions—the West Midlands and the East of England—will take forward implementation of the programme of action set out in the Next Steps document from this summer, supported by £500,000 of development funding I am making available.

Educational Institutions: Sustainable Development

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when the rules relating to capital funding announced in the Learning and Skills Council news release issue 411 came into force.

Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council has advised that the criteria relating to capital funding announced in its news release issue 411 will be in force by September 2007.

Educational Institutions: Sustainable Development

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what criteria have to be fulfilled by a further education college applying to receive the additional 5 per cent. of building costs for sustainable development announced in Learning and Skills Council news release 411; and whether this funding is in addition to the cost allowance of up to 10 per cent. available for addressing sustainability issues as detailed in paragraph 6.3 of the Learning and Skills capital handbook.

Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has advised that the total allowance available to further education colleges for addressing sustainability issues is 10 per cent. of net building cost, as detailed in paragraph 6.3 of the LSC's capital handbook. To qualify for LSC capital funds, all proposals are required to address sustainable development by meeting a number of criteria:
	Meeting, and preferably exceeding, the requirements of part L of the Building Regulations.
	Ensuring that completed development meets the criteria to achieve at least 'very good' Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) ratings. From September this year a rating of 'excellent' will be mandatory.
	Maximising the use of natural lighting, ventilation and rainwater.
	Embedding the principles of sustainability in the design of buildings and building systems.
	The criteria that further education colleges have to fulfil in order to receive the additional 10 per cent. cost allowance are not formally specified. Colleges are instead asked to provide a sustainability statement listing the elements of the proposed project which address the sustainability agenda. The statement should include how the proposed design addresses sustainability issues outside the remit of current building regulations. The college should also identify the specific costs of those elements of the building.

Further Education: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans he has, following the restructuring of the Learning and Skills Council, to ensure there is sufficient Government expenditure on post-16 year old skills training within the Leeds West constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: As set out in 'Machinery of Government: Departmental Organisation', to provide strong strategic leadership for the 14-19 phase overall planning responsibilities for that phase will transfer to the Department for Children, Schools and Families as will all funding for 14-19 learners with the exception of that for apprenticeships. Subject to consultation on the details and timing, to ensure there is no disruption to schools, colleges and training providers and the introduction of new diplomas, and the need to pass the necessary legislation, funding for school sixth forms, sixth form colleges and the contribution of FE colleges to the 14-19 phase will transfer from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to local authorities' ring-fenced education budgets.
	In relation to post-19 education and training, we will consider, and consult on, the best way of delivering all of those functions and services that are necessary to support the FE sector and to achieve our skills ambitions. That will build on and sustain the progress made with the LSC over recent years in developing a demand-led approach that meets the needs of employers and learners, particularly through the successful Train to Gain programme.

Higher Education: China

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many English universities have campuses in  (a) China and  (b) India.

Bill Rammell: I am aware of two English universities with campuses in China. There are none in India since foreign providers are not currently permitted to set up there. There are of course many institutions with partnership arrangements with their counterparts in both China and India. DIUS is working with the devolved administrations to conduct a survey of UK higher education institutions that will show the scale and pattern of overseas provision by domestic institutions including which institutions have campuses in other countries. The survey is currently in the field and first results are expected to be available in September 2007.

Higher Education: Finance

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much Learning and Skills Council funding there was for non-prescribed higher education courses in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: Over the last 10 years, we have increased total funding for higher education by over 20 per cent. in real terms and now spend £10 billion a year, although the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England are responsible for the distribution of funding to support different courses. Both organisations have made important contributions to developing effective progression pathways for people looking to continue learning beyond level 3 either through further or higher education and are working together to assess the issues relating to the current funding of higher level skills provision.
	The LSC is generally responsible for funding non-prescribed HE courses in FE colleges. Information on the funding for non-prescribed higher education courses is not currently available.

Research: Finance

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans his Department has to maintain the dual-support system.

Bill Rammell: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister informed the House on 28 June 2007,  Official Report, column 36WS, the Government have no plans to change the current dual support arrangements for the public funding of research.

Skilled Workers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which 10 sectors of employment have the greatest acknowledged skills shortage; and what the manpower shortfall is in each case.

Bill Rammell: The 2005 National Employer Skills Survey collected data from 74,500 employers in England about vacancies which were hard to fill because of a lack of suitably skilled applicants. This is felt to be the best measure of skill shortages. The data in the following table shows the Sector Skills Councils with the greatest numbers of skill shortages. To an extent, this merely reflects the size of the sectors so the second table shows the 10 sectors with the greatest numbers of skill shortages per 1,000 employees.
	
		
			  10 sectors with the largest numbers of skill shortages 
			  Sector skills council  Number of skill shortage vacancies 
			 People 1(st) (Hospitality, leisure, travel, tourism) 12,900 
			 ConstructionSkills (Construction) 11,900 
			 Skillsmart Retail (Retail) 9,425 
			 Skills for Care and Development (Social care, children and young people) 7,725 
			 SEMTA (Science, engineering and manufacturing technologies) 6,675 
			 E-skills UK (IT and telecommunications) 6,650 
			 Skills for Health (all health sector) 6,625 
			 Financial Services 4,450 
			 Asset Skills (property services, housing, cleaning services, facilities management) 4,100 
			 Automotive Skills (Retail motor industry) 4,000 
			 All England 143,125 
		
	
	
		
			  10 sectors with the most skill shortages per 1,000 employees 
			  Sector skills council  Skill shortage vacancies per 1,000 employees  Numbers of skill shortage vacancies 
			 SummitSkills (Building services engineering) 13 2,825 
			 ConstructionSkills (Construction) 12 11,900 
			 Skills for Care and Development (Social care, children and young people) 10 7,725 
			 E-skills UK (IT and telecommunications) 10 6,650 
			 Automotive Skills (Retail motor industry) 9 4,000 
			 GoSkills (Passenger transport) 9 3,475 
			 Lantra (Environmental and land-based industries) 8 2,350 
			 People 1(st) (Hospitality, leisure, travel, tourism) 8 12,900 
			 Creative and Cultural Skills (Advertising, crafts, cultural heritage, design, the arts and music) 7 1,450 
			 SkillsActive (Active leisure and learning) 6 1,550 
			 All England 7 143,125

Skilled Workers: Unemployment

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which 10 sectors of employment have the greatest acknowledged skills excess; and if he will estimate the level of unemployment in each sector.

Bill Rammell: We do not have information on skill surpluses by sector as such. However, comparing unemployment rate between sectors gives some indication of relative skill supply by sector. The following table shows estimates for 2006 of the unemployment rate and level by sector for each of the 23 sectors that can be identified using the Annual Population Survey sorted in descending order of unemployment rate.
	
		
			  Unemployment by sector 
			   Unemployment rate( 1 ) (percentage)  Number unemployed 
			 Not Classified(2) 9.0 615,000 
			 Skillfast—UK (Apparel, footwear, textiles and related businesses industry) 7.9 16,000 
			 People 1st (Hospitality, leisure, travel, tourism) 7.4 94,000 
			 Improve (Food and drink) 5.7 18,000 
			 Skillsmart (Retail) 5.6 145,000 
			 Proskills (Process and manufacturing) 5.5 19,000 
			 Skillset (Audio visual industries) 5.0 8,000 
			 Skills for Logistics 4.9 38,000 
			 Cogent (Chemical, nuclear, oil and gas, petroleum industries) 4.8 23,000 
			 Asset Skills (Property services, housing, cleaning services and facilities management) 3.9 24,000 
			 SEMTA (Science, engineering and manufacturing technologies) 3.8 55,000 
			 Automotive Skills (Retail motor industry) 4.0 19,000 
			 Energy and Utility Skills (Electricity, gas, waste management and water industries) 3.8 11,000 
			 Construction Skills (Construction) 3.7 82,000 
			 Creative and Cultural Skills (Advertising, crafts, cultural heritage, design, the arts and music) 3.7 7,000 
			 SkillsActive (Active leisure and learning) 3.4 9,000 
			 Skills for Care and Development (Social care, children and young people) 3.4 40,000 
			 E-skills UK (IT and communications) 3.1 23,000 
			 Lantra (Environmental and land-based industries) 2.9 10,000 
			 Financial Services 3.0 31,000 
			 GoSkills (Passenger transport) 2.6 15,000 
			 Lifelong learning UK (Employers who deliver and/or support the delivery of lifelong learning) 2.1 15,000 
			 Skills for Health (all health sector) 1.8 30,000 
			 Skills for Justice (Custodial care, community justice, court and prosecution services, policing and law enforcement! 1.0 4,000 
			 All England 5.4 1,349,000 
			 (1 )Numerator for unemployment rate is number seeking and available for work whose last job was in the sector concerned. Denominator is numerator plus number employed in that sector. (2 )Includes Summit Skills (building services engineering).  Source: Annual Population Survey, 2006

Students: Loans

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what measures the Government has introduced to ensure repayment of student loans by EU domiciled students.

Bill Rammell: EU loan repayments will be collected by the Student Loans Company (SLC), which already has experience of recovering loans from UK borrowers who go overseas and from EEA migrant workers who are entitled to loans. All borrowers from September 2006 enter a contract with the SLC which is enforceable under UK law which, under EC regulation 44/2001, can also be enforced by courts in other EU countries.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Governance and Transparency Fund

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the Governance and Transparency Fund is expected to be released in year 1.

Shahid Malik: The budget for the Governance and Transparency Fund is £100 million over the next five years. The amount of funding released in Year 1 will be dependent on the proposals supported and how quickly successful applicants propose to begin activities.

Governance and Transparency Fund

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects to announce which organisations were successful in their applications for funding from the Governance and Transparency Fund.

Shahid Malik: We expect to announce which organisations were successful in their applications for funding from the Governance and Transparency Fund by early December 2007.

Governance and Transparency Fund

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many successful applicants there have been for funding from the Governance and Transparency Fund; and how much funding has been awarded to each organisation.

Shahid Malik: We will not make funding decisions on applications to the Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF) until early December 2007. We will publish full details of supported proposals and organisations on the DFID website once we have informed all applicants of our decision.

Palestinians: International Assistance

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what decisions have been made about the eligibility for restored EU funding of Palestinian Authority employees in Gaza who were receiving allowances under the Temporary International Mechanisms before 15 June 2007.

Shahid Malik: The Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) has recently been extended until the end of September 2007. Allowances for Palestinian Authority (PA) workers for the month of June were paid during the week commencing 2 July 2007. Workers in both the West Bank and Gaza were paid.
	On 18 June, EU Foreign Ministers discussed the resumption of assistance to the PA. They concluded that the EU should urgently pursue options for direct practical and financial assistance. Further TIM payments, targeting the same beneficiaries, will form part of this assistance.
	The EU has not yet decided on other means for delivering aid. The UK will press to ensure that any new EU aid meets the needs of Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank.

Palestinians: International Assistance

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2007 to the hon. Member for Mid-Norfolk (Mr. Simpson),  Official Report, columns 184-85W, on Palestinians: international assistance, how many of the 71,000 Palestinian authority employees receiving allowances under the temporary international mechanism received them in  (a) Gaza and  (b) the West Bank.

Shahid Malik: Of the 77,000 Palestinian Authority workers and pensioners receiving allowances under the Temporary International Mechanism, about 47,000 live in the West Bank and 30,000 in Gaza.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of UK aid to Somalia is  (a) agricultural and  (b) medical in nature.

Gareth Thomas: Provisional total UK bilateral expenditure to Somalia in 2006-07 was £16.6 million. Of this total £0.8 million (4.6 per cent.) went to the health sector. The UK is scaling up its support to the health sector in 2007-08 and has recently committed £2.3 million over two years to increase the number and quality of health workers in Somaliland. There was no direct support to the agricultural sector. Nearly half of the UK's aid budget in 2006-07 went on humanitarian activities (£7.6 million, 45.8 per cent.), a proportion of which may be used for health or agriculture related activities.
	The UK also contributes to a range of multilateral organisations that operate in Somalia; these contributions cannot be broken down to sectors.

Sudan: Crimes Against Humanity

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the long-term support needed for the provision of psychosocial care for victims of torture and sexual violence in Darfur.

Gareth Thomas: The scale of long-term psychosocial support that will be needed in Darfur is unknown because of the level of ongoing displacement, leading to gender-based violence and other forms of trauma. However, there will clearly be a need for such support programmes in the future. Fuller assessments of need can only be undertaken when the security situation improves, although until that time immediate response projects will continue.

Sudan: Crimes Against Humanity

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government have taken to support the provision of psychosocial care for victims of torture and sexual violence in Darfur.

Gareth Thomas: The UK has supported psychosocial care in Darfur through a number of methods. Through our direct support to non-government organisations (NGOs) in Darfur, totalling around £12 million a year, several of our partners run psychosocial support projects for women, particularly through women's centres in the camps for displaced people. Additionally, provision of health care to those in need, including victims of sexual violence, is a central activity of many of our partners' work.
	DFID is also the leading contributor, contributing £40 million in 2007, to the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), a pioneering fund that allows the UN to allocate resources to the most urgent humanitarian needs across Sudan. The CHF has so far allocated around £600,000 to the UN Population Fund in Darfur in support of victims of gender based violence. In 2007, the CHF has also channelled a further £19 million to Darfur in support of humanitarian activities there.
	The UK is playing a prominent role in seeking an end to the abuse of civilians in Darfur, both by calling for a renewed political process and seeking the rapid deployment of a robust joint African Union-UN peacekeeping force.

Thailand: Overseas Aid

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of UK aid to Thailand goes to pro-democracy groups.

Shahid Malik: The UK does not provide direct development assistance to Thailand, which is an established Middle Income Country, and has not done so for more than 10 years.

Tsunamis: Early Warning Systems

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made by international partners in developing a tsunami early warning system in the South Pacific.

Shahid Malik: The Intergovernmental Coordination Group (ICG), comprising 30 countries including South Pacific nations such as Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, oversees the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (PTWS). Kiribati, Niue, Solomon Islands, Tokelau and Vanuatu have applied for membership of ICG.
	The ICG relies heavily on the PTWS, which was set up by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration following the 1946 Alaska tsunami. The PTWS was most recently activated following the earthquake off the Solomon Islands in June 2007.
	The UK Government are supporting the restoration of old weather, climate and upper air observing equipment in the Pacific Islands with other partners, including New Zealand and the United States. This will improve the accuracy and speed of severe weather warnings and early warning systems. This should lead to a reduction in the number of deaths and damage to property from weather and climate related natural disasters.
	More broadly, DFID is working closely with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) on disaster risk reduction initiatives internationally. This includes setting up the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS), which began operation in July 2006.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Aerials: Planning Permission

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications for installing a telecommunications mast were  (a) granted and  (b) refused in each London borough in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Travel

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2007,  Official Report, column 780W, on departmental travel, how many foreign trips have been taken by officials from her Department since 1 April 2007; and to which locations and for what purpose in each case.

Iain Wright: Of the 23 journeys overseas undertaken by staff since April 2007 on official business, 21 were to Europe, 1 to the USA and 1 to Kenya. All overseas journeys require the approval of the appropriate deputy director. The purposes of these journeys was to represent the Department and provide expert advice on policy issues.

Departments: European Union

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many officials in her Department are  (a) involved in assisting European Council negotiations,  (b) involved in assisting and advising the European Commission,  (c) seconded to the European Commission,  (d) involved in monitoring EU decisions, communications, regulations and directives,  (e) involved in enforcing compliance with EU decisions, communications, regulations and directives and  (f) involved in other work related to the European Council, Commission or Court of Justice.

Iain Wright: Officials throughout the Department for Communities and Local Government are involved in a full range of EU business. Those working specifically on EU business in the Regional, Urban and Economic Policy Directorate total 321. This works out at 26 for those working in CLG and around 296 for those administering ERDF in the Government Offices. A breakdown of the figures as requested would incur disproportionate cost.

Departments: Pay

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at her Department and its agencies in each year between 1997 and 2006; and what the total cost of those bonuses was.

Iain Wright: The historical numbers of bonuses paid to senior civil servants and the cost of these are given in the following table. The data for 2003 to 2005 refers to our predecessor department, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Data are only available for the five years shown in the table.
	
		
			   Number of bonuses  Cost of bonuses (£) 
			 2007 104 686,000 
			 2006 88 534,000 
			 2005 86 425,900 
			 2004 71 342,000 
			 2003 60 270,300 
		
	
	In Communities and Local Government, bonus payments are made to individuals whose contribution has a significant impact on the Department's performance across the year. Personal contribution is assessed against a range of factors that include:
	Achievement of the Department's Prime Objective which focuses on the way in which our leaders manage and develop our people;
	The degree to which business objectives have been met;
	Delivery for Ministers;
	Demonstration of judgment, leadership and PSG skills;
	Effective resource management

Floods: Shropshire

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with local authorities in Shropshire on special funding support to tackle the aftermath of the recent floods.

John Healey: We have been in contact with South Shropshire district council to provide advice and guidance on the procedures to follow to claim emergency financial support through the Bellwin scheme, and are ready to consider any application.
	The district council registered their intention to claim on 2 July 2007,

Government Office for the South West

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the running cost was of the Government Office of the South West in each of the last five years.

John Healey: holding answer  10 July 2007
	The running cost for the Government Office for the South West over the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 2006-07 14,684,860 
			 2005-06 14,823,083 
			 2004-05 14,607,000 
			 2003-04 13,858,840 
			 2002-03 11,800,000

Government Offices for the Regions

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people work for each of the Government offices for the regions; and what the staff cost is of each in 2007-08.

Iain Wright: The number of permanent, fixed term and casual staff working for each Government office for the regions, including those temporarily away from the office on secondment, loan, maternity leave, career break and special leave without pay, in June 2007 was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 GO East of England 226 
			 GO East Midlands 229 
			 GO London 264 
			 GO North East 264 
			 GO North West 288 
			 GO South East 289 
			 GO South West 273 
			 GO West Midlands 260 
			 GO Yorkshire and the Humber 241 
			 Total 2,334 
		
	
	The estimated staffing costs for each Government office for 2007-08 are:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 GO East of England 8,85 
			 GO East Midlands 8.54 
			 GO London 11.99 
			 GO North East 9.60 
			 GO North West 12.58 
			 GO South East 11.69 
			 GO South West 10.51 
			 GO West Midlands 10.58 
			 GO Yorkshire and the Humber 9.41 
			 Total 93.75

Housing

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1354W, on housing, what proportion of the allocation to social housing in the Chelmsford local authority area was given to families and individuals who were resident outside the Chelmsford local authority area prior to an offer of housing being made  (a) in 2006-07 and  (b) so far in 2007-08;
	(2)  pursuant to the answers of  (a) 21 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1096W, on council housing transfers: Chelmsford and  (b) 19 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1354W, on housing, what the source was of the data collated for the answer provided in January that was not available for the answer provided in May; for what reason the data became unavailable between January and May 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: holding answer 28 June 2007
	The information regarding the proportion of the allocation to social housing in the Chelmsford local authority arc given to families and individuals resident outside the Chelmsford local authority area is not collected centrally.
	The answer collated on 21 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1096W, on council housing transfers, was answered by Communities and Local Government and reflected the availability of information from centrally collected data.
	The answer collated on 19 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1354W, on housing, was answered by the Government Office for the East of England, who contacted Chelmsford local authority directly for this information.

Housing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings she has had with Ministers from the devolved administrations to discuss housing in the UK.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1425W.

Housing: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many private housing lets were made by each local authority in Hampshire in each year since 1997; and what assessment she has made of standard of repair of such properties.

Iain Wright: We do not hold information about the number of private lettings made to social tenants by each local authority within Hampshire.

Housing: Low Incomes

Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes have become available on Wearside since 2002-03; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The numbers of affordable homes provided in each year since 2002-03 are tabulated as follows. The question has been answered in terms of additional affordable homes either newly built or acquired on behalf of Sunderland city council. Affordable housing includes social rent and intermediate housing (e.g. low cost home ownership).
	
		
			  Affordable housing supply: Sunderland 
			  Financial year  Affordable homes provided 
			 2002-03 41 
			 2003-04 8 
			 2004-05 87 
			 2005-06 50 
			  Notes: 1. Affordable housing is the sum of both social rent and intermediate housing. 2. Includes new build and acquisitions.  Source: Housing Corporation, local authorities

Parish Councils: Hextable

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she received Hextable's application for separate parish status; and when she expects to make a decision on the application.

John Healey: holding answer 10 July 2007
	The application by Sevenoaks district council to create a new parish of Hextable was received in this Department on 24 May 2006. A decision will be made once assessment of the representations received and issues involved in relation to this application have been fully considered.

Planning

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what processes are in place to enable  (a) councillors and  (b) the public to monitor the quality of decisions made on planning applications which are delegated to planning officers; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Decisions can only be delegated to officers by elected members, who must determine the terms on which a delegated agreement operates, including monitoring arrangements. Legislation requires that a list of powers exercisable by officers should be maintained and open to public inspection.

Planning

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what action is open to members of the public to challenge planning decisions made by planning officers under delegated powers, where the decision is in breach of the local plan.

Iain Wright: A planning decision made by a planning officer under delegated powers is deemed to be the decision of the local authority.
	Third parties do not have a right of appeal in the way that applicants do because it is the responsibility of local planning authorities to act in the general public interest when determining planning applications. Local authorities must determine planning applications in accordance with the development plan for the area unless material considerations indicate otherwise, these can include views expressed by local residents and other parties. The applicant has a right of appeal against the refusal of a planning permission because this affects his/her property rights.
	Third parties do have a right to challenge a planning decision by seeking a judicial review. However, a decision cannot be challenged merely because someone does not agree with the judgement of the local authority. Those challenging a decision have to be able to show that a serious mistake was made by the authority when reaching the decision or that the procedures were not carried out properly. If a mistake has been made the court has discretion not to quash the decision if it considers the interests of the person making the challenge have not been prejudiced.

Supporting People Programme

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent on the Supporting People programme in each year since its inception.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1472W.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Biometrics: Disclosure of Information

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what definition her Department uses of basic biodata; who collects this information; who this information is shared with; and in what circumstances the biodata is shared with embassy and other officials of the home country of individuals from countries other than the UK.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 10 July 2007
	'Biodata' is defined as the personal details contained in a passport or the equivalent personal details recorded on a visa or residence permit. This type of information is collected by both the Identity and Passport Service in relation to British citizens and the Border and Immigration Agency of the Home Office in relation to foreign nationals.
	This information is processed in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection and Human Rights Acts and this includes when it is shared with third parties. The Home Office shares biodata records with other Government Departments, local authorities, the police and embassies where necessary for its functions, for example, for the purpose of safeguarding national security, the prevention or detection of crime or the apprehension or prosecution of offenders. This information may also be shared with the authorities of an individual's country of origin in order to secure documentation to facilitate their removal from the United Kingdom, where necessary.

Community Support Officers: Manpower

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish data on the recruitment and retention of police community support officers since the post's inception; and on numbers subsequently offered posts as police officers.

Tony McNulty: There are no current plans to include information on the recruitment and retention of police community support officers in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Police Service Strength, England and Wales", where other such information on police service strength is published.
	Data on the numbers of police community support officers joining and leaving the service have been collected since the inception of the post in 2002-03.
	Data on the numbers of police community support officers subsequently offered posts as police officers are not collected centrally in the police personnel statistics series.

Crime: Intellectual Property

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2007,  Official Report, columns 1324-25W, on crime: intellectual property (IP), how many police forces have established strategies to deal with IP crime; and what steps she is taking to monitor progress in implementing these strategies.

Jacqui Smith: The establishment of strategies to tackle all types of crime is an operational matter, solely the responsibility of individual chief officers of police, on which information is not held centrally.
	From 1 August, an officer from South Wales police will be joining the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) on a three year secondment to assist both the IPO and police authorities develop intelligence on IP crime in line with the national IP Crime Strategy.

EU Law: Human Trafficking

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the UK will ratify the European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

Vernon Coaker: The former Home Secretary signed the Council of Europe Convention on 23 March on behalf of the Government and is fully committed to implement the obligations it imposes which will also provide a framework for the minimum rights and protection of all identified victims of trafficking.
	It will inevitably take some time to move from signature to ratification of the Convention and the Government will not ratify the Convention until all changes to domestic legislation, processes and guidance are in place to ensure that we fully comply with its terms. The details on how implementation will be taken forward are currently being developed. We will work with colleagues across Government to implement the Convention and will look to draw on the expertise from non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders in how we do so.

Identity Cards: Finance

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the expected budget is for development of the identity cards and biometric passports scheme in 2007-08.

Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Joan Ryan), to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 19 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1779W.

Identity Cards: Homelessness

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision she plans to make for homeless people to register for a national identity card.

Jacqui Smith: Precise arrangements have yet to be made for identity card applications, including how it will be possible for homeless people to register for a national identity card. However, we intend to draw on the experience of other government departments such as the Department for Work and Pensions and the national health service that already provide services to homeless people.

National Identity Register

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1512W, on the National Identity Register, how she plans to ensure that registrants do not register fictional or inadequate addresses.

Jacqui Smith: It is intended that the National Identity Scheme will make use of the postcode address file as a method of address validation. However, it will not be the only source of validation and section 9 of the Identity Cards Act 2006 will enable checks to be made against records held on other databases to ensure that the address at which the individual is genuinely resident is recorded. Section 28 of the Act makes it a criminal offence to provide false information to the register, with a maximum term of imprisonment of two years available on conviction on indictment.

Northumbria Police: Ethnic Groups

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many candidates of ethnic minority origin applied to the Northumbria police force in each year since 1997; and how many were successful.

Tony McNulty: The available data on the number of applications to become a police officer and the number of successful entrants are available from 2003-04 onwards, and are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Ethnic minority( 1)  applicants and entrants to Northumbria police force from 2003-04 to 2005-06( 2) 
			   Application forms received  New entrants 
			 2003-04 8 2 
			 2004-05 51 3 
			 2005-06 40 5 
			 (1) Ethnic minority applicants and entrants included those describing themselves as: mixed, black or black British, Asian or Asian British and Chinese or other. This does not include those who did not state their ethnicity. (2) Financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March inclusive. Data are not available prior to 2003-04.

Police Stations: Bournemouth

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there are plans to close police stations in Bournemouth.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 10 July 2007
	 The management of the police estate is an operational matter for the chief constable.

Police: Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in each police force in England and Wales have been  (a) disciplined and  (b) dismissed for (i) racism, (ii) bullying and (iii) sexual harassment in the last 12 months.

Tony McNulty: The provision of information regarding the numbers of police officers in each police force in England and Wales, who have been the subject of the disciplinary process for the types of misconduct listed, is the responsibility of the chief officer of each force.

Police: East Midlands

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to close the protective services gap among East Midlands police forces identified by Denis O'Connor in his 2005 report; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The police authorities and chief constables of the five East Midlands forces have made considerable efforts to address this issue. They fund jointly the East Midlands Collaboration Planning Team, which has undertaken a thorough examination of opportunities for reducing costs across all five police forces and investing in protective services, in particular through collaborative approaches. This work is continuing with the aim of having an action plan in place in October 2007. At the same time, the East Midlands forces have made advances in the delivery of policing services to tackle serious organised and cross-border crime through the establishment of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit. The Home Office has supported this development with start-up funding, and is also funding a Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit located in the East Midlands as part of the national structure being developed in partnership with the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Police: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what national police responsibilities are tasked to Essex Constabulary; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The national strategic priorities for policing in England and Wales are set annually and are designed to allow individual police forces the necessary flexibility to fulfil their national responsibilities whilst giving due regard to local policing priorities. Essex Constabulary is not tasked with any specific national responsibilities outside of the national strategic priorities. Essex Police Authority, working closely with Essex Constabulary, produces an annual policing plan. The 2007-08 plan is available at:
	www.essex.police.uk/cms/global/documents/07pplo.pdf

Police: Finance

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much funding has been allocated per head of population on police in 2007-08 for police authorities in  (a) Derbyshire, (b) Leicestershire,  (c) Lincolnshire,  (d) Northamptonshire,  (e) Nottinghamshire,  (f) West Midlands and  (g) Greater Manchester;
	(2)  what the average funding per head of population is on police in 2007-08 in  (a) England and  (b) the East Midlands.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	The Government do not distribute grant to police authorities purely on the basis of population. The police funding formula uses a range of data relating to demographic and social characteristics to reflect the relative needs of each authority. Grant allocations also take into account the relative tax base of each authority. Grant allocations are stabilised by damping to limit year-on-year variations.
	
		
			  Police authority  Total grants 2007-08( 1)( ) (£ million)  Resident population mid-2005( 2 ) (million)  Funding per head of population 2007-08 (£) 
			 Derbyshire 123.64 0.98 126.00 
			 Leicestershire 128.98 0.95 135.32 
			 Lincolnshire 80.36 0.68 118.41 
			 Northamptonshire 82.34 0.65 126.32 
			 Nottinghamshire 154.95 1.04 148.79 
			 West Midlands 519.51 2.59 200.48 
			 Greater Manchester 505.94 2.55 198.59 
			 
			 Total East Midlands 570.27 4.31 132.31 
			 
			 Total England 8,884.81 50.42 176.22 
			 (1) Total grants comprises: Home Office Police Grant, DCLG Revenue Support Grant and National Non-Domestic Rates; Special Formula grant, Specific Grants: Crime Fighting Fund, Neighbourhood Policing Fund, Basic Command Unit Fund, Community Support Officer Funding, Pension Deficit Grant and Dedicated Security Post funding and Capital provision (including the increased capital allocations announced on 24 May and 19 June 2007). (2) Population Data sourced by the Office for National Statistics from the mid-2005 population estimates.

Police: Horses

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police authorities in England and Wales have a mounted police section.

Tony McNulty: Information provided by the Association of Chief Police Officers, indicates that the following constabularies have mounted sections:
	Avon and Somerset
	City of London
	Cleveland
	Greater Manchester
	Humberside
	Lancashire
	Merseyside
	Metropolitan
	Northumbria
	Nottinghamshire
	South Wales
	South Yorkshire
	Thames Valley
	West Yorkshire

Police: Labour Turnover

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 772-74W, if she will break down the figures for those leaving as a result of  (a) resignation,  (b) failed probation,  (c) transfer to another force and  (d) other reasons for each police force area for each year since 2002.

Tony McNulty: The previously tabled question asked for the number of police recruits who left the force within two years of joining. No breakdown of leaving categories by length of service is collected centrally and so the requested information is not available.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to bring forward proposals to amend the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and the associated guidance.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office is working with stakeholders, including the Association of Chief Police Officers and the National Policing Improvement Agency, to produce and to contribute to new guidance to public authorities on the operation and application of the 2000 Act. We will consider making any necessary amendments to the 2000 Act when a suitable legislative opportunity becomes available.

Road Safety

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1300W, on road safety, when the report will be published.

Vernon Coaker: The intention is to publish this report on the evaluation of support services for road traffic victims as a Research Summary in July 2007. The report will be based on an examination of three Home Office funded pilot schemes—Bedfordshire, Bradford and Calderdale and Merseyside.
	The publication date reflects the work that has been involved in finalising the research report from the evaluation, and in quality assuring its contents.

Terrorism

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the evidential basis was for her comment on 1 July that the recent terrorist incidents in London and Glasgow were not related to United Kingdom policy in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tony McNulty: The recent terrorist incidents in London and Glasgow are the subject of ongoing criminal investigation and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear he was not commenting directly on those investigations.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departments: Buildings

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which buildings within one mile of the House are occupied by his Department; and what the  (a) address,  (b) floor area and  (c) function is of each building.

Gillian Merron: The buildings are as follows:
	
		
			  Building  Function  Net internal area (m( 2) ) 
			 70 Whitehall(1) Office space and operational facilities 7,895 
			 10-12 Downing street(1) Office space, residential accommodation and state rooms 4,056 
			 36 Whitehall Office space 2,030 
			 53 Parliament street Office space 716 
			 Admiralty House(1) Residential accommodation, state rooms 1,367 
			 22-26 Whitehall(1) Office space 8,678 
			 Admiralty Arch Office space 7,383 
			 35 Great Smith street Office space and operational faculties 2,897 
			 10 Great George street(1) Office space 1,689 
			 9 Whitehall Office space 1,623 
			 67 Tufton street Office space and operational facilities 2,088 
			 Dover House, Whitehall(1) Office space 318 
			 1 Horse Guards road(1) Office space 488 
			 (1) The Cabinet Office does not occupy the whole of these buildings

Departments: Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people in his Office have been  (a) disciplined and  (b) dismissed for (i) inappropriate use of the internet while at work and (ii) using work telephones to access premium rate telephone numbers in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: Internet and telephone misuse within the Cabinet Office is minimal. For cases which relate to five or less individuals, it is not standard Government practice to publish these records. This is in order to protect the confidentiality of individuals.

Departments: Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent on overnight accommodation by civil servants within his Department's areas of responsibilities in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: Details of how much the Cabinet Office spent on overnight accommodation by civil servants in the last 12 months is not held centrally and is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Personnel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the average fully loaded cost is of a full-time equivalent member of staff of his Department working in Whitehall.

Gillian Merron: Details of the average fully loaded cost of a full-time equivalent member of staff working in Whitehall, is not held centrally and is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Racial Harassment

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many complaints of racial abuse relating to staff for which his Department is responsible have been  (a) investigated and  (b) upheld in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: During the last 12 months (for the period July 2006 to July 2007) the Cabinet Office has not received any official complaints of racial abuse.

Ministers Private Offices: Deputy Prime Minister

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to what use the office space previously used as the private office for the Deputy Prime Minister is being put.

Gillian Merron: The office space allocated to the Office of the former Deputy Prime Minister is being returned to the Cabinet Office.

Ministry of Defence: Location

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the contribution that the Ministry of Defence could make to post-Gershon work on the re-location of civil service jobs out of London and the South East via current initiatives, with particular reference to the Naval Base Review; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when he expects to be in a position to begin making payments of the 2007 Single Farm Payment;
	(2)  what steps he will take to ensure that farmers are given their 2007 Single Farm Payment as soon as possible after the payment window opens.

Jonathan R Shaw: The regulatory window for making payments under the 2007 single payment scheme (SPS) runs from 1 December 2007 to 30 June 2008. While the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will aim to start payments as early as possible within that window, the date will depend in practice on progress with the validation of claims.
	We have set the RPA the target of paying 75 per cent. of the value of valid SPS 2007 claims by 31 March 2008 and 90 per cent. by 31 May 2008 based on the assumption that no partial payments will be made. While this represents a greater degree of challenge for the agency in the coming year it also reflects the fact that it is still in a recovery period. The Department will consider the issue of partial payments in autumn 2007 and the agency's target may be adjusted as necessary at that point.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects all single farm payments for  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006 to be resolved.

Jonathan R Shaw: We cannot give a firm date for when we will make the final payments under the 2005 and 2006 single payment scheme (SPS). The claimants who have yet to receive any payment are the more complex cases, such as those involving probate, which by their nature are more difficult to resolve. As the Secretary of State reported to the House on 2 July, there are also some 20,000 SPS 2005 claims where entitlement values have been identified for review and possible adjustment, upwards or downwards. This may identify a further payment to be made or an overpayment to be recovered. The RPA is now switching resources to deal with these cases.

Animal Welfare: Transport

Gwyn Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 61W, on animal welfare: transport, when four calves were humanely destroyed at Dover; and for what reason.

Jonathan R Shaw: Since May 2006, animal health inspectors at Dover have found five calves in a collapsed state on vehicles intended for export. Notices were served requiring the immediate humane slaughter of all of these calves, although one died naturally. The notices did not require any further action as it was the opinion of the inspectors that the means and conditions of transport were not the cause of the calves condition. Because no post mortem was carried out, definitive prognosis is not available.

Animal Welfare: Trapping

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has held on the manufacturing, sale and use of animal snares; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The Government consider that where there is a need for wildlife management then the proper use of snares is one of a range of possible control methods. Used according to best practice, snares can be an effective and practical means of wildlife management (particularly for rabbits and foxes) and are needed where other forms of pest control are ineffective or impractical. In these circumstances snares restrain rather than kill and may prove to be more humane than other methods. The DEFRA snares action plan and the DEFRA code of good practice on the use of snares in fox and rabbit control in England can be found at:
	http://www.Defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/snares/index.htm
	Neither my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Brent, North (Barry Gardiner) nor I, have held any recent discussions specifically on these issues. However, officials have occasional discussions with a wide range of stakeholders on the current policy on the use of snares.

Beef: Brazil

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tests are performed on beef imports from Brazil to detect residues of  (a) pesticides,  (b) veterinary medicines and  (c) growth hormones.

Phil Woolas: The Pesticide Residues Committee conducts annual programmes to monitor pesticide residues in food. The Committee last sampled beef imported from Brazil in 2004 and found no residues of substances sought.
	The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) tests imported foods from third countries for residues of veterinary medicines and substances not permitted for use in the EU.
	On the recommendation of the independent Veterinary Residues Committee (VRC), which advises the VMD and the Food Standards Agency on residues surveillance, the programme has focused on looking for banned substances in recent years. In 2003 and 2004, a total of 599 samples of imported beef were tested for residues of trenbolone and zeranol (hormonally active substances used for growth promotion), avermectins and �-agonists. This included 202 samples from Brazil. No residues of these hormonal substances were detected in any of the samples.
	In the light of these results, the VRC recommended that beef should be temporarily removed from the imports surveillance programme to focus more resources on areas where intelligence suggested that problems were emerging. The VRC recommended that beef should be restored to the imports surveillance programme in 2007, and 300 samples will be tested for zeranol, trenbolone, and avermectins.
	All these test results have been published on the VMD and VRC websites.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to visit farms in  (a) England and  (b) Shropshire which have been affected by bovine tuberculosis.

Jonathan R Shaw: My ministerial colleagues and I look forward to meeting farmers and their representatives in different parts of the country to discuss a range of important issues, including bovine tuberculosis, in our new roles.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of bovine tuberculosis were recorded in Shrewsbury constituency in  (a) 2000,  (b) 2002,  (c) 2003,  (d) 2004,  (e) 2005 and  (f) 2006.

Jonathan R Shaw: Bovine tuberculosis (TB) statistics are not collected on a constituency basis, but at county level. The total number of new herd TB incidents in Shropshire in the years requested are as follows:
	
		
			   Total new herd TB incidents 
			 2006(1) 149 
			 2005(1) 124 
			 2004 105 
			 2003 86 
			 2002(2) 69 
			 2000 39 
			 (1) Data are provisional, subject to change as more data becomes available. (2) Data for 2002 are not comparable with other years because the TB testing and control programme was largely suspended in 2001 due to the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. When testing resumed in 2002, resources were concentrated on herds with overdue TB tests, which would have had a longer period in which to contract the disease. Also, the proportion of high risk herds tested immediately after the FMD outbreak was greater than that prior to the outbreak.

Coastal Erosion: East Riding

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies his Department has  (a) carried out and  (b) commissioned on the effects of coastal erosion in the East Riding of Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: DEFRA has overall policy responsibility for flood risk management in England, funds most of the Environment Agency's flood related work, and grant aids individual capital improvement projects undertaken by local authorities and internal drainage boards (IDBs). The programme to manage risk is driven by these operating authorities. DEFRA does not carry out works or studies, nor direct the authorities on which specific projects to undertake.
	East Riding of Yorkshire council is the operating authority for this stretch of coast and has carried out annual monitoring of the Easington coast with DEFRA grant aid since 1997. Strategic studies for Bridlington and Withernsea were approved in 1999. In 2002, it carried out Holderness coastline beach management and monitoring which has continued until this year. An application for 111,000 of grant aid is being considered for DEFRA approval to continue funding the strategic monitoring of the coastline into 2007-08.
	The East Riding of Yorkshire council is leading, with a contribution from the Environment Agency, the development of a shoreline management plan for Flamborough Head to Gibraltar Point. An application for grant aid of 270,000 is also currently being considered by DEFRA.

Departments: Consultants

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on  (a) management consultants and  (b) other external consultants and advisers in each year since 2000; and which of these consultants undertook work for the Department with a total contractual value in excess of 10 million over this period.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department came into being in July 2001. From information held centrally, the core-Department expenditure on consultancy and professional services over the financial years 2002-03 to 2006-07 (the first six months) is as per the following table:
	
		
			   
			  Professional services  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 IT and telecommunication 45,431,803 52,805,769 99,254,525 130,937,698 64,966,899 
			 Management and business consultancy 15,317,092 20,260,714 78,671 ,992 44,136,007 10,760,237 
			 Programme and project management 20,579,670 23,118,978 24,323,086 18,192,186 5,293,234 
			 Research and development 9,032,254 9,751,623 18,113,871 20,190,046 14,066,614 
			 Specialist consultancy 39,942,837 39,828,357 36,312,208 36,646,432 9,009,558 
			 Temporary staff 10,536,838 9,383,419 9,623,459 9,890,898 3,908,745 
			 Grand total 140,840,492 155,148,860 266,299,141 259,993,267 108,005,287 
		
	
	Consultancy and professional services companies who undertook work in excess of 10 million over this period are:
	
		
			  Vendor name  Total  () 
			 IBM United Kingdom Ltd 184,000,947.13 
			 Atos Origin IT Services UK Ltd 74,363,856.08 
			 ADAS Consulting Ltd 63,234,238.93 
			 Powergen Warm Front Ltd 52,171,198.28 
			 Sungard Sherwood Systems Ltd 34,073,067.60 
			 P A Consulting Group 25,395,448.74 
			 Sema UK Ltd 19,399,018.41 
			 Sherwood International Group Ltd 16,075,979.46 
			 Adecco UK Ltd 16,053,596.31 
			 Hedra Consortium 13,491,479.26 
			 Walter Lilly and Co Ltd 12,487,874.35 
			 Casella Stanger 11,128,685.35 
			 Kelly Services UK Ltd 10,278,613.78 
			 Tribal Yale 10,041,985.79

Departments: Manpower

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1361W, on departments: manpower, what the estimated annual cost to the public purse is of the 136 staff on the Priority Movers List.

Jonathan R Shaw: It is not possible to estimate an annual cost for staff on the Priority Movers List. It should be noted that many of the staff on the list are engaged on short term project work and other tasks which means that a significant proportion of the related cost contributes to delivery of departmental objectives.
	DEFRA makes every effort to redeploy staff on the Priority Movers list. Those on the list are given priority access to all internal vacancies and are given first consideration for posts at the appropriate grade.

Departments: Public Transport

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the number of its staff using public transport to commute.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not keep records of the number of its staff using public transport to commute and is therefore unable to make an estimate on this.

Domestic Wastes: Exports

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the  (a) amount and  (b) likely future change in the amount of exported domestic waste, broken down by category.

Joan Ruddock: The UK only exports waste that is suitable for recovery or recycling. Based on HM Revenue and Customs figures, it is estimated that in 2006, the UK exported some 8 million tonnes of metal scrap, 4 million tonnes of paper, 441,000 tonnes of plastic and 136,000 tonnes of glass cullet.
	The Government have not made any estimate of the likely future growth in the amount of exported waste, but the Government sponsored Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has undertaken research to assess the international markets for key recyclable wastes: plastic, paper and glass, and these papers are available on WRAP's website.
	http://www.wrap.org.uk/wrap_corporate/publications/index.html
	Future trends on exports will depend largely on the success of the range of initiatives under way to increase provision of domestic recycling capacity as part of the implementation of Waste Strategy 2007.

Flood Control: Capital Investment

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how the increase in spending across Government of 200 million on flood-risk management and defences will be allocated  (a) within his Department and  (b) to other Government departments;
	(2)  what proportion of the additional 200 million for flood-risk management and defences will be allocated to the Great Wakering catchment area flood management project.

Phil Woolas: No final decisions have been taken on the allocation between Departments of the 200 million increased spending in 2010-11. Funding for individual flood risk management projects will be decided through the prioritisation process which is being developed to reflect the new Outcome Measures.

Flood Control: Finance

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for future funding for the Environment Agency for flood defences; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Secretary of State confirmed on 2 July that spending on flood risk management and defences will rise from around 600 million in 2007-08 to 800 million by 2010-11. No final decisions have been taken on the allocation of the 200 million increased spending.

Flood Control: Telephone Services

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of  (a) the savings which will be generated by and  (b) the sum to be paid in redundancies resulting from the closure of the Worthing office of the Environment Agency.

Phil Woolas: The scheme to move from three to two areas in the southern region has yet to be approved by the Environment Agency Board. The proposed scheme will improve operational delivery, technical resilience and save 2.75 million by April 2012.

Floods

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his oral statement of 2 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 689-93, on floods (England), what additional funding he plans to make available to Wales for flood and coastal defence.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 11 July 2007
	This is a devolved issue and is the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Floods

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the flood defence budget was directed to controlling surface water flooding in each of the last five years; and through which agencies and schemes it was allocated.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency has principal responsibility for management of flood risk in England from designated main rivers and the sea and, since April 2004, has been responsible for the whole operational flood management budget provided by DEFRA. The prime focus of this work is on the management of floodwater in river systems and the avoidance of coastal inundation. Such works will often involve an element of provision for surface water drainage but this is not separately identified in funding allocations.

Floods: Grants

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the criteria are for awarding monies under the small scale small business recovery scheme for flooded areas; to which areas the scheme will apply; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	The regional development agencies have responded rapidly to provide support and assistance to businesses affected by the recent flooding. Yorkshire Forward has set up a 2 million Small Business Recovery Scheme to assist businesses. To be eligible for funding to assist with immediate recovery needs, businesses must be in a recognised flooded area; be a business entity operating in the Yorkshire and Humber region and must have fewer than 250 employees. The East Midlands Development Agency has established a 500,000 Flood Recovery Fund to help support affected SMEs. To be eligible for funding, businesses have to demonstrate impact of flooding on the income of the business; that it has taken all reasonable actions to mitigate this; that the business is temporarily trading at a loss or experiencing severe cash flow difficulties which could lead to failure of the business; and it can present evidence of past and future viability.
	Full details of eligibility criteria are available at www.yorkshire-forward.com and www.eastmidlands business.co.uk.

Floods: Insurance

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of properties which are deemed uninsurable due to high risk of flooding.

Phil Woolas: Under the Statement of Principles agreed between the Government and the Association of British Insurers (ABI), insurers will provide cover to existing policyholders if they estimate the risk of flooding as less than once in every 75 years or defences are planned to reduce the risk to this level within five years. If the risk is more than once in 75 years, and no defences are planned, insurers will examine the risk case-by-case and work with owners to see whether the property can be made insurable.
	In their report to the Government last autumn, the ABI noted that their members continued to provide flood cover as standard to virtually all households. Following the recent flood events, ministerial colleagues and I met with the ABI on 10 July. The ABI stressed their commitment to make flood cover widely available as standard and we will hold a meeting to review the implementation of the Statement of Principles in the autumn.

Forests: Small Businesses

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice, training and support are available to local and small woodland businesses.

Joan Ruddock: The primary mechanism for advice and support is from the Forestry Commission whose role includes giving practical advice to woodland owners, and producing a range of woodland and forestry related publications. The Forestry Commission's research agency, Forest Research, provides specialist technical advice directly and through publications and seminars which are open to all in the forestry and woodland sector.
	Individuals, commercial companies, professional bodies and other organisations also offer advice training and support. Nationally these include the Small Woods Association, the Royal Forestry Society and the Institute of Chartered Foresters. There are also a number of local and regional woodland initiatives and projects that provide assistance in various ways.
	LANTRA the sector skills council for the environmental and land based sector includes forestry and arboriculture in their remit. It runs formal accredited training schemes, as do the National Proficiency Test Council.
	There are proposals in the Regional Implementation Plans for the new Rural Development Programme for England, which if approved, will aid the provision of advice, training and support for local and small woodland businesses.

Leopards: Conservation

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Iran ahead of the next Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species conference on preserving the North Persian leopard.

Joan Ruddock: The whole of the Leopard (Panthera pardus) taxon, which includes the north Persian leopard, is listed in CITES Appendix I. The 14(th) CITES Conference of Parties took place in The Hague between 2 and 15 June. No discussions were held with the Government of Iran on preserving the north Persian leopard either ahead of the CITES Conference, or since.

Lighting: Pollution

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to consult on draft guidance concerning light pollution.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA is developing draft guidance on light pollution and planning, and is working closely with Communities and Local Government, which has policy responsibility for planning. The timing of a public consultation on the guidance is partly dependent on the on-going review of the national planning policy framework, announced in the Planning White Paper published in May this year.

Livestock: MRSA

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports he has received of MRSA infections in domesticated farm animals.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 9 July 2007
	 Methicillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was first reported to have been isolated from animals in Europe in 1972 and over the subsequent years there have been a limited number of other reports from various parts of the world. Some early reports of MRSA in animals in the scientific literature did not use molecular or other appropriate techniques to confirm definitively the identity of the suspect MRSA organisms and these reports may not be comparable with current reports.
	MRSA has been recovered from a number of different animal species and from a number of different parts of the world. The animal species involved include dogs (USA, Korea and the Netherlands), pigs (Netherlands, Denmark and Germany), horses (USA and Japan), dairy cows and chickens (Korea) and cats (Brazil). The scientific papers describing the detection of MRSA in animals from these (and some other countries; the list is not exhaustive) are readily available in the scientific literature.
	In the UK, since 1999, published reports have indicated that MRSA has been isolated from a small number of companion animals and from horses. There have been no reports of MRSA from food-producing animals in the UK. The current UK position relating to MRSA in animals has also been summarised on the DEFRA website and has been available for some time.

Packaging: Recycling

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether regulations are in place to oblige retailers  (a) to take back and  (b) to take back and recycle the packaging of products sold in their own stores; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: No regulations are currently in place specifically obliging retailers to take back, and take back and recycle, packaging sold in their own stores. However, we have not ruled out regulating on this in the future, and if we wished to do so, powers are available in sections 93-95 of the Environment Act 1995.
	The level of a business' obligation is determined, in part, by the amount of packaging they handle. Once they have calculated their obligation, the business has to ensure that the specified amount of packaging waste is recovered or recycled. This is an equivalent amount of waste, so does not have to be waste from the very same products handled by the business.
	At present, the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 encourage businesses to reduce the amount of packaging they use. In addition, the Government are encouraging supermarkets to take greater responsibility for the waste they place on the market and for producers to reduce their waste. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is currently working with retailers through the 'Courtauld Commitment', a voluntary agreement which aims to halt packaging growth by 2008 and make absolute reductions in packaging waste by 2010. 13 major retailers, representing 92 per cent. of the UK grocery sector, have already signed the agreement, as well as three major brands.
	In addition, DEFRA, working with WRAP and the devolved administrations, has recently secured the agreement of UK retailers to reduce the overall environmental impact of their carrier bags by 25 per cent. by the end of 2008.

Packaging: Wastes

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps were taken to establish a protocol for reporting the progress made by signatories to the Courtauld Commitment on packaging waste when it was established in 2005.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 9 July 2007
	Each of the signatories to the Courtauld Commitment is an obligated company for the purposes of the Packaging Regulations and declares their total packaging use each year to the relevant regulators. This has been the case since it was established in 2005.
	The Courtauld Commitment objectives relate to primary packaging taken home by consumers. When my predecessor met the signatories last November, he asked them to agree a protocol with the Waste and Resources Action Programme for reporting progress in a consistent and transparent way. A draft protocol is currently being consulted on, with a view to it being agreed and implemented in this reporting year.

Packaging: Wastes

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the annual total packaging use of each of the signatories to the Courtauld Commitment was in each year for which figures are available.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 9 July 2007
	Information on the annual total packaging use of each of the signatories is not routinely collected in the form requested.
	As obligated companies for the purposes of the Packaging Regulations, the signatories to the Courtauld Commitment submit data to the Environment Agency. However, as some signatories are companies, and others are brands, it is not possible to extract the data in the form requested. Additionally the data are commercially sensitive.

Rural Payments Agency

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 307W, on the Rural Payments Agency, when he will make the analysis available.

Jonathan R Shaw: We are not at this stage in a position to advise when the detailed analysis of payments made under the single payment scheme will be made available.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Colombia

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Government of Colombia on a negotiated peace settlement of that country's civil war; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what financial and other assistance was provided to the Government of Colombia in each year since 2002 to tackle the illegal narcotics industry; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what discussions he and his officials have had with the Governments of  (a) France,  (b) Spain,  (c) Switzerland and  (d) other EU partners on a negotiated peace settlement to Colombia's civil war;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with the Government of Colombia on the proposed humanitarian exchange of political prisoners in Colombia;
	(5)  what discussions he has had with the Government of Colombia on the protection of trade unionists in Colombia; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The longstanding conflict in Colombia, fuelled by the illegal drugs trade, has been deeply damaging. Significant progress has been made by President Uribe's Government, and the Government have congratulated him on this. But serious concerns remain, especially on human rights.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is yet to hold discussions with Colombian counterparts since his appointment. But officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London and Bogota hold regular discussions with Colombian Government officials, EU partners and civil society on the situation in Colombia.
	Such talks have focused recently on the need for a substantive peace settlement with full participation by all actors in the conflict; the unacceptable on-going abuses of trade unionists and human rights defenders; proposed humanitarian exchanges of political prisoners; and the recent murders of 11 hostages held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
	My noble Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, held discussions with a range of senior Colombian and UK civil society figures on 26 June. Humanitarian exchanges of political prisoners and the situation for trade unionists in Colombia were prominent themes at this meeting. My noble Friend Lord Triesman issued a statement following the meeting, setting out the Government's views on these issues. The full text can be accessed on the FCO's website at:
	http://www.fco. gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPagec=Pagecid=1007029391638a=KArticleaid=1182951887630.
	We have discussed with Colombian Government representatives in London and Bogota the issues raised at the meeting of 26 June. In doing so, we expressed our outrage at the killings of the 11 Colombian hostages held by the FARC, and extended our condolences to all those affected by this tragedy. The EU presidency also strongly condemned the killings and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by PARC and other illegal groups.
	The menace from drugs is real, both in Colombia and in the UK. Cooperation between the UK and Colombia has been very close and highly productive. We do not give details of our support because its disclosure would be to the detriment of the safety of the individuals, the prevention and detection of crime and international relations.

Iran: Israel

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has  (a) taken and  (b) plans to take at the United Nations about the statements made by the President of Iran on (i) the right of the State of Israel to exist and (ii) denial of the holocaust; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Government have consistently condemned Iranian President Ahmadinejad's inflammatory comments about the state of Israel and his denial of the holocaust. We have made clear that these statements are wholly unacceptable, abhorrent and have no place in civilised political debate.
	In December 2006 the Iranian Government hosted a conference, in the guise of an academic exercise, which attempted to cast doubt on whether the holocaust took place. President Ahmadinejad's comments at the event demonstrated that the intention was to undermine Israel's right to exist. My right hon. Friend the former Prime Minister publicly condemned the conference in the strongest terms and I summoned the Iranian ambassador to express the UK's outrage at the event. On 26 January the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning without reservation any denial of the holocaust. The UK strongly supported this resolution. Iran was the only country that chose to disassociate itself from the consensus shared by all other UN members on this issue.
	President Ahmadinejad's approach towards Israel serves to undermine international confidence that Iran is willing to comply with its obligations and act as a respectable member of the international community. We continue to take such comments extremely seriously.

Iran: Nuclear Weapons

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what commitments have been made by Iran to co-operate with the International Atomic Energy Agency in resolving outstanding issues relating to Iran's nuclear programme; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Iran has a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and has signed, but not ratified, an Additional Protocol to this agreement.
	As the IAEA has made clear over a series of reports to its Board of Governors and to the UN Security Council,
	unless Iran addresses the long outstanding verification issues, and implements the Additional Protocol and the required transparency measures, the Agency will not be able to fully reconstruct the history of Iran's nuclear programme and provide assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran or about the exclusively peaceful nature of that programme.
	The IAEA has consistently requested additional transparency measures from Iran which it regards as essential to resolving these outstanding concerns.
	While we welcome Iran's latest declaration of willingness to co-operate with the IAEA to resolve the outstanding issues, it is essential that Iran provides full co- operation and transparency towards the IAEA, as it has so far failed to do. Resolution of the outstanding issues is something Iran should take forward as a matter of urgency as a member of the IAEA. However, it is not a substitute for suspension of Iran's proliferation sensitive nuclear activities, as requested by the IAEA Board of Governors as a confidence-building measure and made mandatory by the UN Security Council.

Pakistan

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether HM High Commission, Islamabad, has received the test results in the case of the family of Mr. S J of Aylesbury (reference GV 100/122773/JG/NP, cellmark reference HO71607); and when the High Commission expects to inform the applicants and sponsor of the outcome of the case.

Kim Howells: Our high commission in Islamabad has received the DNA test results for the entry clearance applications submitted by the family of Mr. S J of Aylesbury. However, the applications were referred to the Home Office on 10 July for further information. The family members will be requested to attend an interview at our Visa Section in Islamabad as soon as this information has been received.

Palestinians: Israel

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Palestinian authorities on incursions by Palestinian terrorists into Israel; what response has been received; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We are concerned by the security situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially the recent attacks on Israel by Palestinian militant groups. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the security situation with Palestinian President Abbas on 29 June. Staff from our consulate-general in Jerusalem also regularly raise security concerns with the Palestinian Authority (PA), most recently with the Fayyad-led emergency government.
	We will do all we can to assist the PA in taking forward security sector reform. As agreed by EU Foreign Ministers at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 18 June, the EU will now develop the conditions for urgent practical and financial assistance including: direct financial support to the government; support to the Palestinian civilian police; the resumption of the EU Border Assistance Mission; and intensive efforts to build the institutions of the future Palestinian state.

Uganda: Politics and Government

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on  (a) the (i) strength, (ii) leadership and (iii) political objectives of the Ugandan People's Redemption Army and  (b) the length of time it has been active; whether it has attacked property in Uganda; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: There are contradictory reports about the People's Redemption Army (PRA) and its strength, leadership, activities and political objectives. We have seen no evidence that the PRA represents any significant threat to Uganda's stability.
	We continue to press the Government of Uganda that there should be a free, fair and transparent legal process for those alleged to be members of the PRA currently in custody and/or on trial and that this should be completed as quickly as possible.

Uganda: Politics and Government

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the transition to multi-party democracy in Uganda; whether the ideological training institute at Kyankwanzi is still in use; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: In February 2006 Uganda held its first multi-party elections in 25 years. The reintroduction of a multi-party system was an important achievement. However there is still much to be done, particularly with regard to respect for the independence of the judiciary and political space for the opposition.
	It is essential, therefore, that the government and the opposition parties continue to work together to embed the evolving multiparty democracy and ensure transparency. The UK, along with other international partners, has a regular dialogue with the Government of Uganda on all aspects of developing multi-party democracy.
	The Kyankwanzi National Leadership Institute remains in use and is responsible for preparing senior government officials (including members of the Police, Prison Service and Resident District Commissioners).

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the availability of alcohol misuse services.

Dawn Primarolo: Primary care trusts (PCTs) have the lead responsibility to assess the health care needs of their local populations and, in consultation with social care organisations and others, to understand the impact that harmful drinking is having on the health of the local population and to provide adequate treatment provision to tackle this.
	In support of this, the Government's renewed alcohol strategy, 'Safe. Sensible. Social. The Next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy', sets out a new approach to achieve significant and measurable reductions over a sustained period in the harms caused by alcohol.
	In addition, from 2007-8, an additional 15 million has been distributed to PCTs to support development and delivery of alcohol intervention via the PCT general allocation budget. This money has been distributed using the normal weighted capitation formula so the actual amount spent local will vary from area to area.

Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has  (a) to assist and  (b) otherwise to contact the management of Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals to discuss infection control; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what action he plans to take in response to the improvement notice issued by the Healthcare Commission to Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Trust on dealing with infection control at those hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The trust and strategic health authority are working together to address the issues in the improvement notice and the Department will assist if appropriate but these issues need to be resolved locally.

Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take following the Healthcare Commission findings at Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Trust on factually incorrect management reporting of infection control results; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The current case appears to have identified differences in interpreting compliance with the code of practice. With the Healthcare Commission, we will be considering if trusts need additional guidance on assessing compliance.

Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients at  (a) Barnet and  (b) Chase Farm hospitals contracted (i)  Clostridium difficile and (ii) MRSA in (A) each of the last three years and (B) 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The data are not available in the format requested. The best available information for methicillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is from the mandatory MRSA blood stream infections surveillance that began in April 2001 and covers acute national health service trusts in England rather than individual hospitals. Mandatory surveillance for  Clostridium difficile commenced in January 2004.
	Data for both MRSA and  Clostridium difficile for 2007 are not yet available
	
		
			  Number of reported cases of Clostridium difficile 
			  Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust  Number 
			 January-December 2004 514 
			 January-December 2005 692 
			 January-December 2006 723 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of reported MRSA blood stream infections (bacteraemia) 
			  Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust  Number 
			 April 2003-March 2004 94 
			 April 2004-March 2005 102 
			 April 2005-March 2006 78 
			 April 2006-December 2006 46 
			  Source: Health Protection Agency

Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library copies of the Healthcare Commission's  (a) improvement notice and  (b) report relating to infection control at Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals.

Ann Keen: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Blood: Contamination

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what approaches he has received from Lord Archer of Sandwell requesting papers and information to help his inquiry into the contamination of blood products; what information has been supplied; what information is outstanding; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Officials met with members of the inquiry team on 25 April 2007 to discuss what information the Department may be able to provide to the inquiry. Following that meeting the Department sent the inquiry team a chronology on the screening of donors for evidence of transfusion transmissible infections.
	We have also made available a recently completed document on the 'Review of Documentation Relating to the Safety of Blood Products 1970-1985 (Non A Non B Hepatitis)', and the supporting references. These documents are available in the Library.
	Lord Archer has been advised that the Department will release all papers identified in the Review, in line with the Freedom of Information Act. The papers will be released to Lord Archer's inquiry as quickly as possible, in monthly batches. The first set of papers were sent to the inquiry team on 15 June.

Bone Diseases: Medical Treatments

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to his answer of 12 June 2007,  Official Report, column 990W, on bone diseases: medical treatments, when he expects a final approval determination to be published following the delay in publication of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's final guidance for anti-tumour necrosis factor treatment for ankylosing spondylitis;
	(2)  whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's assessment of, and guidance on, anti-tumour necrosis factor treatments for ankylosing spondylitis will take into account the Department's policy of treating patients outside hospital whenever possible.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) anticipates publishing final guidance to the national health service on adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in October 2007.
	In reaching a view on the clinical and cost effectiveness of adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis, NICE's Appraisal Committee will consider all relevant information.
	Further information is available on NICE's website at:
	guidance.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=98339

Care Homes: Finance

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many beds funded by his Department were provided in social services care homes in  (a) England and  (b) Shropshire in (i) 1997, (ii) 2000, (iii) 2005 and (iv) 2007;
	(2) how much his Department spent  (a) in total and  (b) per bed provided on social care home facilities in Shropshire in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07; and what spending has been forecast for 2007-08.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not directly fund places in care homes, with the exception of people receiving continuing care, whose care is funded by the national health service. Information on the numbers of people receiving NHS funded continuing care and nursing care in England is only available from 2003 onwards. This is shown in the following tables. Separate figures for Shropshire are not available.
	
		
			  NHS-funded nursing care in England at 31 March 
			   Number 
			 2003 58,751 
			 2004 119,081 
			 2005 125,573 
			 2006 117,939 
			 2007 123,452 
		
	
	
		
			  C ontinuing care in England at 31 March 
			   Number 
			 2003 17,019 
			 2004 19,723 
			 2005 20,842 
			 2006 25,008 
			 2007 30,975 
		
	
	Care may be funded in a variety of ways. Depending on their financial circumstances, residents may pay for their own care, or be partly or wholly supported by local council social services, or organisations such as charities or previous employers. Local council social services pay for care using funding allocations they receive from the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	The following tables show the information for the number of supported residents aged 18 and over funded wholly or in part by local council social services and the gross expenditure for 1997, 2000, and 2005 in England and Shropshire.
	
		
			  N umber of adults supported in residential care in England and Shropshire in 1997, 2000, and 2005 
			  Rounded numbers 
			   1997  2000  2005( 2) 
			 England 241,900 267,500 266,200 
			 Shropshire(1) 2,300 2,500 2,300 
			  Of which:
			 Shropshire (remaining)  1,600 1,600 
			 Telford and the Wrekin  900 700 
			 (1 )From 2000 onwards, Shropshire council was split into Shropshire and Telford and the Wrekin. Figures have been provided on a consistent basis for comparison. (2 )The 2005 information includes clients formerly in receipt of preserved rights and Boyd loophole residents. 
		
	
	
		
			  Gross current expenditure spend on residential care for adults in England and Shropshire in 1997-98, 2000-01 and 2005-06 
			   thousands 
			   1997-98  2000-01  2005-06 
			 England 4,086,300 5,124,500 7,042,900 
			 Shropshire(1) 34,700 41,400 52,800 
			  Of which:
			 Shropshire (remaining)  27,000 36,700 
			 Telford and the Wrekin  14,400 16,200 
			 (1 )From 2000 onwards, Shropshire council was split into Shropshire and Telford and the Wrekin. Figures have been provided on a consistent basis for comparison. 
		
	
	The cost per person per week for adults staying in residential care during 2005-06 in Shropshire was 424.
	Information for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is not yet available and forecasts are not made.
	Information about the numbers of children in care homes is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

Departments: European Union

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials in his Department are  (a) involved in assisting European Council negotiations,  (b) involved in assisting and advising the European Commission,  (c) seconded to the European Commission,  (d) involved in monitoring EU decisions, communications, regulations and directives,  (e) involved in enforcing compliance with EU decisions, communications, regulations and directives and  (f) involved in other work related to the European Council, Commission or Court of Justice.

Dawn Primarolo: Officials throughout the Department are involved in a full range of European Union business. Those working specifically on EU business in the international division total seven. A breakdown of the figures requested would incur disproportionate cost.

Departments: Missing People

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether  (a) he and  (b) Ministers or officials from his Department attended the meeting of the National Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group on 27 June; what steps his Department is taking following the meeting; whether he expects to attend the next meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Department officials attended the meeting of the National Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group (NMPSOG) on 27 June. There were no resulting action points for the Department and officials expect to attend the next meeting.

Departments: Public Bodies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1630-4W, on Departments: public bodies, what the  (a) whole-time equivalent numbers and  (b) budget were for NHS Supply Chain in each year since its inception.

Ivan Lewis: Information relating to NHS Supply Chain was not provided separately in the answer of 19 June 2007 as it is not an arm's length body in its own right. NHS Supply Chain was created on 1 October 2006 and is a contract managed by NHS Business Services Authority.
	As of end June 2007, NHS Supply Chain employed 1,592 whole-time equivalent members of staff.
	The budget is commercially sensitive information and is not for public disclosure, as agreed by the contract established with the Department.

Departments: Public Bodies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1630-4W, on Departments: public bodies, whether the figures included consultants; and how many consultants were employed by each arm's length body in each year.

Ivan Lewis: The answer of 19 June 2007 related to staff employed by the Department's arm's length bodies.
	Details relating to consultants contracted by the Department's arm's length bodies are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Public Bodies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1630-34W, on Departments: public bodies, whether NHS Direct, for the purposes of the answer, has been subsumed into Connecting for Health.

Ivan Lewis: The answer of 19 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1630-34W, provided the (a) budget and (b) staffing numbers for the Department's arm's length bodies for each year they were available. The information for NHS Direct was provided for 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07. NHS Direct became an NHS Trust on 1 April 2007 and ceased to be an arm's length body so no information was provided for 2007-08.

Departments: Public Bodies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1630-4W, on Departments: public bodies, who administered the budget originally allocated to the NHS Modernisation Agency after 2004-05; and what that budget was in each year since 2005-06.

Ivan Lewis: For 2005-06, 135.692 million was distributed by the Department to the strategic health authorities to distribute across the national health service.
	In 2006-07, 115.192 million and in 2007-08 87.336 million were distributed to the NHS by the department as part of the NHS funding bundle.
	The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement also received funding from the money that had previously been allocated to the NHS Modernisation Agency.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the final submission setting out his Department's financial needs for the period covered by the 2002 spending review that his Department made to HM Treasury as part of the spending review process before a final settlement was agreed.

Ben Bradshaw: It is the Government's view that publishing spending review papers would be prejudicial to the conduct of public affairs.

Health Services: Hertfordshire

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) health visitors,  (b) nursery nurses,  (c) support workers and  (d) midwives there were in Hertfordshire in each year since 2001.

Ivan Lewis: The following table shows the number of nursing, midwifery and health visiting and support staff in Hertfordshire as at 30 September for each year specified.
	
		
			  H eadcount 
			   2001  2002  2003 ( 1) 2004  2005 ( 2) 2006 
			 Total nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff and support staff 6,077 5,911 6,344 7,656 6,716 6,105 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 4,668 4,478 4,670 5,503 5,020 4,729 
			 Nurse Consultant 0 5 9 1 2 2 
			 Modern Matron n/a n/a n/a n/a 37 39 
			 Manager 33 27 49 59 53 46 
			 Registered nurseChildren 43 41 41 47 51 40 
			 Registered midwife 380 350 324 362 371 381 
			 Health visitor 228 259 249 252 284 239 
			 District nurse 1(st) level 250 313 264 278 105 80 
			 District nurse 2(nd) level 64 10 12 31 9 1 
			 Qualified School Nurse 0 0 15 0 4 4 
			 Other 1(st) level 3,285 3,292 3,583 4,355 3,990 3,863 
			 Other 2(nd) level 385 144 124 118 114 34 
			 Unspecified qualified nursing 0 37 0 0 0 0 
			 Support to clinical staff 1,409 1,433 1,674 2,153 1,696 1,376 
			 Nursery nurse 22 35 35 48 75 45 
			 Nursing assistant/auxiliary 1,387 1,363 1,639 2,105 1,621 1,331 
			 Unqualified nurses with unknown classification 0 35 0 0 0 0 
			 n/a = not applicable (1) In 2004 East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust reported a large increase in the use of bank staff. (2) More accurate validation processes in 2006 have resulted in the identification and removal of 9,858 duplicate non-medical staff records out of the total workforce figure of 1.3 million in 2006. Earlier years' figures could not be accurately validated in this way and so will be slightly inflated. The level of inflation in earlier years' figures is estimated to be less than 1 per cent. of total across all non-medical staff groups for headcount figures. This should be taken into consideration when analysing trends over time.  Note: Hertfordshire has been defined as consisting of East and North Hertfordshire PCT, West Hertfordshire PCT, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust and West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust and based on boundaries at 1 October 2006.  Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care 2006 non-medical workforce census.

Hearing Aids: Waiting Lists

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland are waiting for a hearing aid; and what the average waiting time is for such provision.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not collect data on waiting times for a hearing aid. However, since January 2006, the Department has been collecting data on the waiting times for audiology assessment. The latest figures, for April 2007, indicate that there are currently 7,328 people waiting over 13 weeks for an audiology assessment in the North East Strategic Health Authority.

Home Care Services: Elderly

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to review the current arrangements for home care for pensioners.

Ivan Lewis: No. The provision of social care is based on the National Assistance Act 1948. Sections 21 and 29 of the Act relate to the duties and powers of local authorities to provide social care services. Following the Local Authorities Social Services Act 1970, local council social services departments were set up to provide services to a wide range of people, including children in need, people with mental health problems and learning difficulties and older people.
	Local authorities are responsible for assessing the care needs of their populations and providing or arranging care services to meet those needs, including home care for pensioners.

Homeopathy: Kent

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether patients who live in the areas covered by West Kent Primary Care Trust will continue to be able to receive homeopathy from the Tunbridge Wells NHS Homeopathic Hospital.

Dawn Primarolo: It is for the local national health service, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to plan, develop and improve services for local people. Local solutions will meet the needs of local patients and communities. Consultation about the commissioning of homeopathy services is therefore a matter for West Kent Primary Care Trust.

Hospitals: Parking

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals in the Greater Manchester area have acted on his Department's recommendations to provide free or reduced price parking for patients with long-term illnesses and requiring regular treatment.

Ben Bradshaw: Under Income Generation rules it is for each individual national health service body to manage any car parking scheme on its premises, including what charges to impose and what concessions to offer, taking into consideration all of the relevant local factors. The document 'Income Generation: Car Parking ChargesBest Practice for Implementation' is intended to provide advice and support in carrying out that function. While I would expect NHS bodies to consider and take account of the recommendations set out in the document, they are not obliged to adhere to them unconditionally.
	The Estates Related Information Collection database monitors some transport and car parking related activities. However, it does not monitor implementation of any of the recommendations in this best practice document.

Human Embryo Experiments

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received objecting to the draft Human Tissue and Embryos Bill; and what objections have been made in those representations.

Dawn Primarolo: On 17 May 2007, the Human Tissue and Embryos Bill was published in draft form and is now undergoing scrutiny by a Joint House of Commons and House of Lords Committee, concluding on 25 July. The Committee has taken a range of evidence.
	Following publication of the draft Bill, a number of representations have been made to the Department. Where objections have been raised, they have primarily concerned the proposal to form the Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos, the proposal to allow the creation of inter-species embryos for research, and the proposal to remove the reference to a child's need for a father when considering the welfare of the child.
	Objections to these proposals have been based on a variety of moral, religious, sociological and practical grounds.

Medical Treatments: Finance

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to allocate funds to the development of photodynamic therapy.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 1450-51W.

Mental Health Services: Prisoners/ Prisons

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much his Department spent in England on providing  (a) additional secure psychiatric beds,  (b) medical services for prisoners,  (c) drug and alcohol treatment of prisoners and  (d) drug and alcohol treatment for other convicted persons in each of the last six years; and what sums are budgeted for the next five years;
	(2)  what funding he provided for prison psychiatric care in each of the last five years; and what percentage of the prison health care budget each figure represented.

Ivan Lewis: Information on expenditure on additional psychiatric beds is not collected centrally. Funding is allocated on the basis of individual need, as determined by local commissioners.
	Expenditure on medical services for prisoners in the last six years, which includes psychiatric services, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Expenditure on prison health  care in England 2002-03 to 2006-07 
			   Amount () 
			 2002-03 117,615,000 
			 2003-04 139,705,000 
			 2004-05 158,002,000 
			 2005-06 177,511,000 
			 2006-07 189,319,000 
			  Note: The figures quoted include amount spend on mental health in-reach services in both publicly and privately managed prisons.  Source: Department of Health 
		
	
	The 2007-08 allocation currently stands at 198,999,000.
	The figure for 2006-07 also includes an amount to cover the cost of implementing Agenda for Change, backdated to October 2004, for prison health care staff who have transferred to the national health service.
	Drug treatment funding allocated to prisons globally over the past six years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Table 2: drug treatment funding allocated to prisons 2001-02 to 2006-07 
			   million 
			  Intervention  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Clinical services (detoxification and/or maintenance prescribing) 7.30 7.30 11.30 11.30 11.30 23.3 
			 Counselling, assessment, referral, advice and through care services (CARATs) 12.91 14.30 17.40 23.20 26.70 31.7 
			 Drug rehabilitation programmes 7.09 7.10 9.00 13.90 19.40 19.40 
			 Juvenile substance misuse service (JSMS)2.30 2.9 2.9 
			 Total 27.30 28.70 37.70 50.70 60.30 77.3 
			  Source: Home Office 
		
	
	There is currently no central funding for implementing the Alcohol Strategy for Prisoners (introduced December 2004). A number of initiatives are under way locally but such spend is not recorded centrally.
	For drug and alcohol treatment for other convicted persons, the Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO) and, since April 2005, the Drug Rehabilitation Requirement (DRR) of the community order, which has gradually replaced it, are the only community sentences which require the offender to attend drug treatment. Funding for DTTOs and DRRs over the last six years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Funding for DTTOs and the DRRs 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			   million 
			   Amount paid to pooled treatment budget to fund DTTO/DRR treatment and testing in England  Allocation to probation areas to fund DTTO/DRR supervision and enforcement costs in England and full DTTO/DRR costs in Wales 
			 2001-02 14.8 21.2 
			 2002-03 20 16 
			 2003-04 29.7 24 
			 2004-05 42 34 
			 2005-06 42 39 
			 2006-07 42 39 
			  Source: Home Office 
		
	
	Additionally, 3 million was made available in 2005-06 to the Prospects programme, a pilot which provides offenders with a history of drug misuse with seamless support from prison to the community in a residential setting.
	DTTO and DRR allocations are projected to remain the same in 2006-07. The 2006-07 allocation for Prospects was 3.8 million, which has risen to 4.35 million for 2007-08.
	There is no dedicated funding provided by Government to support the provision of alcohol treatment to offenders under probation supervision. Instead, each probation area determines the amount of its annual probation funding allocation to spend on alcohol treatment. Information about alcohol treatment spend by probation area is not centrally available.
	Funding plans for any of these programmes and services for the next five years have not yet been finalised, although they are all ongoing.

Mental Health Services: Prisoners

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prisoners were reported as requiring psychiatric care in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally.
	A survey, Psychiatric morbidity among prisoners in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics, 1998) showed that 90 per cent. of prisoners have at least one significant mental health problem, including personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse and drug dependence. A copy is available in the Library.
	People who are mentally too ill to remain in prison should be transferred to hospital. We have introduced tighter monitoring to identify prisoners waiting an unacceptably long period for transfer to hospital. A protocol was issued to prisons and primary care trusts in October 2005 setting out what must be done when a prisoner has been waiting for a hospital place for more than three months following acceptance by the national health service.
	These measures have helped bring about positive results. In 2006, 962 prisoners, with mental illness too severe for prison, were transferred to hospital.

Mental Health Services: Prisoners

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prisoners were transferred to hospital for psychiatric care in each of the last five years; and what the average waiting time for the transfer was over that period.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested on the numbers of prisons transferred is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Total number of transfers under Sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 2001-06 
			   Total 
			 2001 670 
			 2002 722 
			 2003 785 
			 2004 892 
			 2005 896 
			 2006 962 
			  Source: Mental Health Unit, Home Office 
		
	
	Information on the average length of time prisoners wait for these transfers is not collected centrally. However, there has been a significant decrease in the number of people waiting over 12 weeks for a transfer in the quarter ending March 2007, 40 prisoners were waiting, down from 51 in the same quarter in 2005.

Mentally Ill: Cannabis

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 6 June 2007,  Official Report, column 583W, on mentally ill: cannabis, how many hospital admissions on mental health grounds resulting from the use of cannabis there were in each year since 1997, broken down by strategic health authority area.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire (Mr. Vara) on 21 June 2007,  Official Report, column 2187W.

Mentally Ill: HM Prison Armley

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of prisoners currently in HM Prison Armley has been diagnosed as having  (a) mental health,  (b) alcohol-related and  (c) drug-related problems; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally. A survey, Psychiatric morbidity among prisoners in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics, 1998) showed that 90 per cent. of prisoners have at least one significant mental health problem, including personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse and drug dependence. A copy is available in the Library.
	Mental health services for prisoners have been a key part of the government's recent reforms of health services for prisoners. The Department is now investing 20 million a year in national health service mental health in-reach services for prisoners. These are community mental health teams working within prisons and are now available in 102 prisons, with some 360 extra staff employed. Every prison in England and Wales has access to these services. Information on how many prisoners receive these services is not collected centrally.

Methylamphetamine

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent steps he has taken to prevent the sale of over-the-counter medicines for the manufacture of methylamphetamine; and what assessment he has made of whether the classification of medicines containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine as pharmacy available plays a role in the illegal manufacture of methylamphetamine;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the prevalence of the use of over-the-counter medicines to manufacture methylamphetamine.

Dawn Primarolo: The manufacture of methylamphetamine in the United Kingdom is believed to be at a low level currently, but is thought to be increasing. The reclassification of methylamphetamine to Class A under the Misuse of Drugs Act on 18 January 2007 is now enabling the collection and analysis of more specific data on methylamphetamine use in the UK. However no formal assessment has yet been made of the prevalence of the use of over the counter medicines to manufacture methylamphetamine.
	On 7 March 2007, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency started a public consultation exercise on proposals to restrict the availability of medicines containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine by a change to legal status from pharmacy to prescription only, together with a restriction in pack size. This followed advice from the Commission on Human Medicines that non-statutory measures, such as rigorous supervision of pharmacy sales of single packs, were not sufficient alone to protect public health. The consultation exercise ended on 29 June 2007 and the results are currently being evaluated. Part of that evaluation includes the effect of action to introduce restrictions on supply including reclassification, taken in other countries, on the role of these medicines in the manufacture of methylamphetamine.

NHS: Drugs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) total NHS expenditure on medicines and  (b) NHS spending per head on medicines has been in each year since 1997-98 (i) for England and (ii) broken down by strategic health authority area.

Dawn Primarolo: The following tables give total national health service expenditure on medicines since 1997-98 and is broken down by  (a) primary care and  (b) the hospital and community health service (HCHS).
	Primary care medicines expenditure is the total actual cost of drugs and appliances prescribed by general practitioners/nurses within England plus any central budget expenditure or locally authorised payments.
	HCHS expenditure on drugs includes medical gases.
	The Department does not publish the drugs bill on a per capita basis. The per capita figures have been derived from Office of National Statistics mid-year total population estimates for England, and do not take into account age related demand for drugs.
	A times-series breakdown by strategic health authority (SHA) area is not available as this data are not collated by SHA centrally.
	
		
			  Cash terms 
			   Total outturn ( million)  Per capita ()  Of which: primary ( million)  Per capita  ()  Of which: HCHS ( million)  Per capita () 
			 1997-98 5,173 106.3 4,085 83.9 1,088 22.4 
			 1998-99 5,550 113.7 4,339 88.9 1,211 24.8 
			 1999-2000 6,202 126.5 4,833 98.6 1,369 27.9 
		
	
	
		
			  Resource terms (from 2000-01) 
			   
			   Total outturn ( million)  Per capita ()  Of which: primary ( million)  Per capita ()  Of which: HCHS ( million)  Per capita () 
			 2000-01 6,688 135.8 5,158 104.8 1,530 31.1 
			 2001-02 7,447 150.6 5,707 115.4 1,740 35.2 
			 2002-03 8,355 168.3 6,342 127.7 2,013 40.5 
			 2003-04 9,271 186.0 6,960 139.6 2,311 46.4 
			 2004-05 9,965 198.9 7,370 147.1 2,595 51.8 
			 2005-06 9,979 197.9 7,215 143.1 2,764 54.8 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are net which include pharmaceutical price regulation scheme (PPRS) receipt savings. 2. The total drugs spend include drugs expenditure in primary care and the HCHS. The primary care expenditure reflects amounts paid to pharmacy and appliance contractors and amounts authorised for dispending doctors and personal administration in England. HCHS expenditure includes drugs and medical gases. 3. From 2000-01 figures are in resource terms, prior to this figures are in cash terms. Cash figures relate to February to January prescribing due to delay in prescription processing and payment calculations. Resource figures represent the actual cost between April to March.  Sources: Prescription pricing division of the NHS Business Services Authority, England and Department of Health Finance Division.

NHS: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what records are being held by his Department on the discussions with HM Treasury on changes to the resource accounting and budgeting system announced in March 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department holds a range of records on the discussions between the Department and HM Treasury on the changes to the resource accounting and budgeting rules for national health service trusts announced on 28 March 2007.

NHS: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on changes to the resource accounting and budgeting system.

Ben Bradshaw: The Secretary of State has regular meetings with the Chancellor of the Exchequer at which a range of issues are discussed.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the detailed report relating to the final sign-off on the financial plans of NHS organisations in 2007-08 referred to on page 28 of his Department's NHS financial performance quarter four, published on 6 June 2007; if he will publish the detailed report; and if he make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is currently completing its risk assessment of the 2007-08 financial plans submitted by all national health service organisations. Information relating to these plans will be published in due course.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the capital budget was of each  (a) NHS trust and  (b) primary care trust in 2006-07; and what the actual capital expenditure was in 2006-07 of each.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested, based on 2006-07 unaudited draft national health service accounts, has been placed in the Library.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely level of top-slicing in 2007-08 of primary care trust revenue allocations in each strategic health authority area.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is currently completing its risk assessment of the 2007-08 financial plans submitted by all national health service organisations. Information relating to these plans will be published in due course.
	We made clear in the 2007-08 NHS operating framework that strategic health authorities (SHAs) should not generally require the level of contribution to their reserves from primary care trust (PCT) allocations as was the case in 2006-07, because of the return of the NHS to overall financial balance by the end of the last financial year.
	Where continuing contributions from PCT allocations are required by SHAs in 2007-08, they must be subject to transparent rules clearly covering the purpose of the reserves and the timescale over which each organisation can expect to recover its contribution. SHAs have been asked to ensure that financial plans for 2007-08 for individual organisations have been prepared on this basis.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the 2006-07 in-year financial position was of each  (a) strategic health authority,  (b) NHS trust and  (c) primary care trust.

Ben Bradshaw: A table providing the information requested has been placed in the Library.

NHS: Manpower

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) nurses,  (b) doctors and  (c) full-time equivalent (i) doctors and (ii) nurses were working in the NHS in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			   1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  All doctors (excluding retainers)
			 Headcount 86,584 89,619 91,837 93,981 96,319 99,169 103,350 108,993 117,036 122,345 125,612 
			 Full-time equivalent (FTE) 81,783 84,758 86,594 88,371 90,248 92,495 96,999 102,037 109,224 114,251 119,096 
			 
			  General practitioners (GPs,  excluding retainers)( 1)( , )( 2)
			 Headcount 29,116 29,389 29,697 29,987 30,252 30,685 31,182 32,593 34,085 35,302 35,369 
			 FTE 27,550 27,660 27,848 28,033 28,154 28,439 28,740 29,777 30,762 31,683 33,121 
			 
			  HCHS medical and dental staff (excluding locums)
			 Headcount 64,213 66,836 68,458 70,000 71,688 73,846 77,031 80,851 86,996 90,630 93,320 
			 FTE 54,233 57,099 58,746 60,338 62,094 64,055 68,260 72,260 78,462 82,568 85,975 
			 
			  Of which:
			  Consultants (including directors of public health)
			 Headcount 20,402 21,474 22,324 23,321 24,401 25,782 27,070 28,750 30,650 31,993 32,874 
			 FTE 18,603 19,661 20,432 21,410 22,186 23,064 24,756 26,341 28,141 29,613 30,619 
			 
			  Total qualified nursing staff( 3, 4)
			 Headcount 319,151 318,856 323,457 329,637 335,952 350,381 367,520 386,359 397,515 404,161 398,335 
			 FTE 257,891 256,093 257,597 261,340 266,987 277,334 291,285 304,892 315,440 321,537 322,062 
			 
			  Qualified nursing, midwifery  and  health visiting staff
			 Headcount 301,253 300,467 304,563 310,142 316,752 330,535 346,537 364,692 375,371 381,257 374,538 
			 FTE 248,070 246,011 247,238 250,651 256,276 266,171 279,287 291,925 301,877 307,744 307,447 
			  GP practice nurses( 1)( , )( 3)( , )( 4)
			 Headcount 17,898 18,389 18,894 19,495 19,200 19,846 20,983 21,667 22,144 22,904 23,797 
			 FTE 9,821 10,082 10,359 10,689 10,711 11,163 11,998 12,967 13,563 13,793 14,616 
			 (1) GP data as at 1 October 1995-99 and 30 September 2000-06. (2) GP FTE data for 1996 to 2005 has been estimated using the results from the 1992-93 GMP Workload Survey. For 2006, FTE has been collected and therefore may not be fully comparable with previous years. (3) Nursing and midwifery figures exclude students on training courses leading to a first qualification as a nurse or midwife. (4) Headcount practice nurse figures are estimated for 1998 and 1999 based on the 1997 FTE to headcount ratio.  Notes: 1. All doctors (excluding GP retainers) also excludes hospital practitioners and clinical assistants, most of whom are GPs working part-time in hospitals. 2. More accurate validation this year means that in 2006, 9,858 duplicate records were identified and removed from the non-medical census. The impact of duplicates on FTE has been minimal with the removal of 507.

Nutrition: Fruit and Vegetables

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what research has been conducted into the health effects of drinking fruit juice  (a) made from concentrate and  (b) not made from concentrate; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what research has been conducted into the health effects of eating  (a) pre-packaged, pre-prepared fruit and  (b) fresh fruit; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what research has been conducted into the health effects of eating  (a) pre-packaged, pre-prepared salads and  (b) freshly made salads; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government's advice to increase fruit and vegetable consumption to five portions a day is based on a range of evidence that suggests high intakes may be beneficial in reducing the risk of chronic disease, such as heart disease.
	There is no evidence to suggest that there is a difference in the health benefits of fruit, fruit juice and salads prepared in the ways identified. All these sources of fruit and vegetables count towards achieving the 5 a day recommendation, although fruit juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day, however much you consume.

Offenders: Drugs

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many offenders  (a) in prisons and  (b) in the community were receiving treatment for drug or alcohol problems in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many prisoners are waiting to attend  (a) alcohol and  (b) drug management courses; and what the average waiting time is for a place on each such course.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the number of offenders receiving alcohol treatment in prisons or in the community is not collected centrally.
	However, the 'Alcohol Needs Assessment Research Project' (ANARP) published in November 2005 provided the first ever comprehensive picture of alcohol related needs and availability of treatment in England.
	ANARP found that in England 1.1 million people are alcohol dependent and estimated that 63,000 people access alcohol treatment each year.
	The table shows the numbers of prisoners with a drug problem who engaged subsequently with prison drug treatment services in each of the past five years for which this information is available. Full year figures for 2006-07 are not yet available.
	
		
			  Intensive programme entrants 
			   Clinical services includes maintenance, detoxification and alcohol detoxification  CARATs (counselling, assessment, referral, advice and throughcare service) initial assessments  Intensive programme entrants 
			 2001-02 41,765 39,338 4,691 
			 2002-03 50,701 51,966 4,386 
			 2003-04 57,891 54,125 4,703 
			 2004-05 53,903 59,025 7,621 
			 2005-06 53,773 (1)74,588 10,743 
			 (1) Includes 8,709 by YPSMS (Young People's Substance Misuse Service for under-18s)  Note: Individual prisoners may engage in more than one form of treatment.  Source: Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	Information on prisoners waiting for drug or alcohol treatment is not collected centrally.

Offenders: Drugs

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many detoxifications of prisoners took place in each of the last five years; what the average length of time for detoxification was; and what the average cost was.

Ivan Lewis: The table shows the number of entrants to prison detoxification and drug maintenance programmes for the years 2001-02 to 2005-06. Full year figures for 2006-07 are not yet available.
	
		
			  Year  Entrants 
			 2001-02 41,765 
			 2002-03 50,701 
			 2003-04 57,891 
			 2004-05 53,903 
			 2005-06 53,773 
			  Notes: 1. These data have been extracted from the Prison Service PSimon database (Prison Service Information for Managers Online). 2. These figures aggregate detoxification and extended prescribing programmes. These two interventions will be reported separately from April 2007. 3. Information on the average length of time for detoxification, or on average cost, is not collected centrally. However, in 2006-07, a total of 77.3 million was provided for custodial drug treatment.

Reproduction: Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the  (a) reference numbers and  (b) titles of (i) statutory instruments, (ii) departmental circulars and (iii) other documents distributed direct to (A) primary care trusts and (B) strategic health authorities consequential to the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967 and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 since 2005; what action was required in respect of each; and what further documents in these categories he plans to circulate in the next 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: The available information for 1 January 2006 onwards is set out as follows:
	No statutory instruments, Departmental circulars or documents have been issued by the Department to primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs) on the provisions of the Abortion Act.
	We will be issuing best practice guidance on reproductive healthcare later this year aimed at commissioners and providers emphasising the need to develop strong links between abortion and contraceptive services.
	No statutory instruments, departmental circulars or documents have been issued by the Department to PCTs and SHAs consequential to the provisions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act. The Department has no plans to circulate any documents in these categories in the next 12 months.
	The Government have undertaken a review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, and published the White Paper 'Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act: Proposals for revised legislation (including establishment of the Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos)' in December 2006 (Cm 6989). This was followed by publication of the draft Human Tissue and Embryos Bill on 17 May 2007. Both documents are available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_073098
	and
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsLegislation/DH_074718

Ritalin

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the trend in the number of Ritalin prescriptions issued; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of a general practitioner's powers to increase the dosages of Ritalin for sufferers of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder once an initial prescription has been made by a specialist in child psychiatry.

Dawn Primarolo: We have no evidence that methylphenidate (Ritalin) is being inappropriately prescribed on a widespread basis. In October 2000, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in a review of the use of methylphenidate (Ritalin) suggested that a great number of children were missing out on methylphenidate who may benefit from it.
	In March 2006, NICE published guidance on the use of all drugs used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). They estimated that around 5 per cent. of school-aged children meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, equivalent to 366,000 children and adolescents in England and Wales, but not all these children will require medication.
	NICE further recommended that drug treatment for ADHD should only be initiated by an appropriately qualified healthcare professional with expertise in ADHD and should be based on a comprehensive assessment and diagnosis. Continued prescribing and monitoring of drug treatment may be performed by general practitioners, under shared care arrangements. Drug therapy should only be part of a comprehensive treatment programme that includes advice and support to parents and teachers.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew), of 12 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1008W, on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, what the composition is of the Pharmacy Regulation and Leadership Oversight Group.

Dawn Primarolo: I am pleased to announce the membership of the Pharmacy Regulation and Leadership Oversight Group (PRLOG). The chair of the Group is Ken Jarrold CBE, a director of Dearden Consulting, who has made a significant contribution as a senior manager in the national health service over many years. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officers of the four United Kingdom Health Departments are membersDr. Keith Ridge (Department of Health), Professor Bill Scott (Scottish Executive Health Department), Ms Carwen Wynne-Howell (Welsh Assembly Government) and Dr. Norman Morrow (Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Northern Ireland). Mr. Hemant Patel, President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, and Mr. Raymond Anderson, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, are also members. Professor Peter Noyce, who provided advice on professional matters to Lord Carter's working party on pharmacy professional regulation and leadership, will be the professional adviser to the PRLOG.
	In addition, other members of the PRLOG include:
	Ms Tracey Boyce, a senior hospital pharmacist in Northern Ireland.
	Ms Judith Cope, Chief Pharmacist at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust and honorary senior lecturer, the School of Pharmacy, University of London.
	Professor Duncan Craig, Head of Pharmacy and Chair in Pharmaceutics at the University of East Anglia School of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy.
	Mr. Robert Darracott, the Chief Executive of the Company Chemists Association.
	Ms Jennifer de Val, President of the British Pharmacy Students Association, and a junior hospital pharmacist.
	Mr. Stephen Griffin, Director of Personnel and Development at the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust.
	Professor Mayur Lakhani CBE, Chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners.
	Mr. Christopher Martin, who is active as a pharmacist and as an independent community pharmacy owner in Wales.
	Ms Fiona Price, a pharmacy technician, based in Cardiff, Wales.
	Mr. Duncan Rudkin, the Chief Executive and Registrar of the General Dental Council, and a former solicitor.
	Professor Michael Schofield CBE, a former lay member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, who also has wide experience of the NHS.
	Mr. James Semple, managing director of the TLC Pharmacy Group, which provides community pharmacy services in central Scotland.
	Ms Rosie Varley OBE, Acting Chairman of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence and Chairman of the General Optical Council.
	I have asked the PRLOG to provide advice to Ministers on effective action to establish a new regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and to identify how leadership within the pharmacy profession can support the GPhC's regulatory role. In doing so, the group will take into account broader action for regulatory reform set out in the White Paper, Trust, Assurance and Safetythe Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century.

Social Services: Finance

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the adult social care budget was for  (a) England and  (b) Shropshire in each year since 2002-03.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the adult social care budget is not available. Data for the combined social care budget for both children and adults are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Budgeted social services expenditure for Shropshire and England between 2002-03 and 2007-08 
			   000 
			   Shropshire  England 
			 2002-03 57,149 12,618,921 
			 2003-04 69,361 14,102,597 
			 2004-05 69,830 15,585,716 
			 2005-06 75,181 16,874,884 
			 2006-07 77,194 17,753,469 
			 2007-08 83,616 18,476,285

Supermarkets: Labelling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will discuss with major supermarkets labelling food packing with larger type of pricing and ingredients for the elderly and the visually impaired.

Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency is the Department responsible for food labelling. Label clarity is one of a range of issues on which the Agency is in regular contact with key stakeholders, including retailers.
	European Union food labelling legislation, which is currently subject to review, requires that labelling information should be easy to understand, clearly legible, indelible and easily visible. In addition to legislative requirements, the Agency has produced guidance on clear food labelling, which takes into account the needs of the visually impaired by suggesting a minimum font size. This guidance is being revised and will shortly be issued for public consultation.
	Price information is covered by the Price Marking Order 2004. This requires that price indications must be clearly legible, unambiguous and easily identifiable. The Agency has received no representations that consumers find such information difficult to read.

Water: Schools

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to review and access the provision of water in schools following his Department's Food in Schools Water Provision project.

Dawn Primarolo: The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 require that a school shall have a wholesome supply of water for domestic purposes including a supply of drinking water. The new nutritional standards for school food require that drinking water is provided free of charge to registered pupils. Chilled water is not a requirement of the standards.
	We are investing close to 500 million between 2005 and 2011 to assist authorities and schools in improving school food and drink. Ofsted will be monitoring schools' approaches to healthier eating as part of their regular inspections of schools.
	Providing free drinking water and meeting the new nutritional standards are key criteria under the healthy eating theme of the National Healthy Schools Programme. We have set a target for all schools to be working towards Healthy School Status by 2009.